Heart of Gold
by American Wings
Summary: When Regulus Black became a Death Eater after he left Hogwarts School, he never thought that he would back out a year later and be killed. Nor did he think that his entire worldview would be changed as his life fell apart. Or that through it all he would learn what family, friendship, bravery and love really means. Note: I started writing in 2006 before the publication of DH.
1. Chapter 1

**Heart of Gold**

**Chapter 1**

**By American Wings**

* * *

_That's why I couldn't be happier_

_Simply couldn't be happier – well, not simply_

_Cause getting your dreams, it's strange but it seems_

_A little, well, complicated_

_There's a kind of a sort of cost, there's a couple of things get lost_

_There are bridges you cross you didn't know you crossed until you've crossed_

Glinda in "Thank Goodness" from Stephen Schwarz's musical _Wicked_

* * *

Regulus tucked a stray lock of hair behind an ear and felt the perspiration on his brow. The candle was almost completely melted down into waxy goo and there was just enough left to seal another letter, this time with the Black crest on his ring.

The young man stretched his sore back, cramped from hovering in the same position over the desk for so long. The words had to come out absolutely perfect, there could be no margin left for error. Regulus was proud of his affinity for words, his ability to craft hidden meanings into sentences and say exactly the right thing in the right way. It was what made him so adept at spell work, and what had enabled him to craft spells for the Dark Lord in the first place.

Not that it mattered why he had been drawn into the service at that moment. There would be plenty of time to dwell on that after the deed had been done. Though he knew that he would never see the ramifications of his actions, Regulus was still hopeful that they might bring about some good. And maybe, just maybe, that good would be enough to cover his mistakes…

"Are you ready for this, Regulus?"

Liam Merric looked as if he might explode in a fiery ball of energy at any moment. Regulus laughed and finished folding his last shirt to put into his trunk. The rest of the Slytherin boys had already gone up to the Common Room to get ready for the feast, and only Liam and Regulus were left in the room. Regulus rose off of the floor and walked over to his fair-haired friend, grasping his shoulder and pulling him close in a mock hug.

"You bet I am. Seven years of hard work finally paying off? I can't wait to get out of here and away from the Mudblood lovers, present company excluded of course."

Liam chuckled and shrugged the comment off as nothing, like he usually did. Liam was the first Muggleborn to be placed in Slytherin in years, though he had more than earned his place as first in their class and as the best friend of the youngest son of the Black family. Regulus befriended him after realizing just how bright the Irish boy was, hoping to improve his own marks and not expecting much more than a free tutor. But Liam was an astute observer of others, and soon Regulus was forced to choose between friendship and icy hatred. He chose the former.

Regulus checked his pocket watch and sighed in exasperation, "How long do you think this is going to take? I mean, I know we have a farewell feast at the end of every year, but really. I just want to get home and away from here."

Liam laughed and leaned his slim body against a nearby wall, popping one knee forward and leaving the other leg to support his weight, "Patience, friend. It'll go quickly once it's begun. Besides, it's not like we can go anywhere else. The train doesn't leave to go back to London until tomorrow morning, and then we're going to your parents' house. Nothing will start until we're there."

_We may be going back to Grimmauld Place, but that doesn't mean I don't have anywhere else I'm supposed to be_, thought Regulus with an inward wince. It was not that he did not trust Liam, but there was a bit of a conflict of interest in being the best friend of a Muggleborn wizard when you were about to pledge your loyalty to the greatest wizard who ever lived: Voldemort, the Dark Lord. Even if he _was_ a Slytherin, Regulus knew that his friend would never be completely welcome in the ranks of the Death Eaters.

He also knew that Liam viewed the Dark Lord's cause with contempt and scepticism. Even as many of the other young witches and wizards in the house had discussed joining the Death Eaters in hushed voices over the past months, the Irishman had not relented in his view. A couple boys had tried to convince him otherwise, but Liam just could not sympathize with the "stark raving mad rantings of a Pureblood extremist." It didn't make him popular, Regulus thought, but so far it hadn't posed much of a problem. So far.

Regulus' thoughts were broken by Liam's sudden tap on his shoulder, drawing his attention toward the doorframe. Nicolai Baddock, another seventh-year, bustled through the doors clumsily, almost tripping over the trunks piled in front of them.

"Hey, you lot ready? They've called us to go up to the Great Hall three times now. Get a move on!

Liam raised an eyebrow and replied, "Relax, Baddock, we're coming. What's all the rush anyway?"

The other boy shrugged, "I dunno, something about wanting to make sure everything starts on time. They sent me to find you both. Hurry up!" He gave them both a warning look and trotted toward the stairs, tripping again on the third step.

Regulus chuckled and smoothed his robes, "It just means that the Ministry is being overly eager and self-conscious. They probably expect some kind of attack – like the Dark Lord would deem such an event worthy…"

"_Dark Lord?_ Don't tell me you've gone and joined…"

"Regulus! Liam! Get up here!" Baddock's voice drifted down the stairwell.

"We'll finish this later," muttered Liam and started up the stairs, back turned to his friend. Regulus set his body and held his head high. It was fine, he could deal with Liam. Besides, it was not as if the Dark Lord was going to ask him to hurt his best friend, right?

Of course not.

When they reached the top of the stairs, Regulus noted that the room had mostly emptied since he had come up forty-five minutes before to gather the last of his belongings. There were a few first-year boys scrambling to get there on time, and a few older girls who were making last minute rounds about the room to ensure that they had packed everything. Regulus had never had a relationship with many of his classmates that extended beyond being cordial acquaintances. Though he had known most of them all of his life because they came from Pureblood families, he always found reason not to get too close to them. He had never had a close friend until he came to Hogwarts and met Liam.

Growing up in the middle of London did not quite lend itself to meeting many children with whom he could share his magical lifestyle. His childhood had mostly consisted of private tutors in Grimmauld Place and visits to other magical households in the country. And Sirius, well, he was a different story. There were traits about Sirius that Regulus admired – his outgoing personality, his wit and charm – but he knew that his brother had pushed things too far a few too many times. Both boys had inherited the characteristic Black hair and good looks, but Regulus was much too shy to really take advantage of them. Sirius had always received more attention from outsiders as the boys were growing up, at least until they entered Hogwarts. But even then, it was still _Sirius_ that they talked about, only the subject had changed.

A Black not in Slytherin – of course, it _had_ happened before, but no one expected the son of Orion and Walburga Black to be sorted into Gryffindor. Most other Blacks were sorted into Ravenclaw if they weren't in Slytherin, and even though Sirius was merely added to the list of blacked out spots on the family tapestry, it still seemed different, _special_, to Regulus. That's what Sirius was, of course. Special. Even if he wasn't favoured. Regulus was just normal, the good son. The one who did what was expected. And what was expected was unceasing devotion and perfection.

Regulus' thoughts were broken by Liam's sudden tap on his shoulder, drawing his attention up the stairs toward the Great Hall. Professor McGonagall bustled through the doors, opening and closing them so swiftly that Regulus almost believed she had Apparated through the doors, though he thought he may have heard somewhere that that was impossible in Hogwarts Castle. McGonagall turned to face the students, brushing a few fly-aways behind her ears and taking a deep breath before straightening her body and assuming her usual stance of authoritative ease.

"Thank you all for your patience," she began, voice even and now completely collected. "We've had a few _complications_ in our preparations. It seems that the Ministry wanted to make sure that we were all operating under optimal safety standards. If you would all straighten your lines…"

Liam raised an eyebrow and murmured, " '_Complications?'_ What's that supposed to mean?"

Regulus shrugged, "Told you. Overly eager. Self-conscious. And you wonder why I don't trust our government."

Liam laughed and shook his head, but said nothing. Regulus breathed a sigh of relief – he did not know what he would have done had Liam been angry with him for what he had accidentally let slip. How was he supposed to explain what he was doing to his friend? There was nothing wrong with it, of course, but all the same, how do you explain to someone that you're joining a group of people that they think is pointless?

He shuffled forward as the students in front of him moved into the Great Hall. He had, of course, already been to six feasts at the end of the year, but always with the expectation of returning. Now that he was about to leave, Regulus could not help but feel a pang of nostalgia. Granted, more often than not he had hated being at the school, but it was the place where he had really had a chance to mould himself into the man whom he was becoming. It was where he had met Liam, and where he had succeeded so admirably.

Dumbledore stood silently at the front of the room. Though Regulus generally viewed the man with some contempt, he could not deny that he had a bit of flair about him. He had no idea how old he must be, but he knew that he had been around for quite some time, if for no other reason than the information on the Chocolate Frog cards. Being the good son, Regulus of course sided with his parents on issues of blood, and Dumbledore was about as Mudbloodied as you could get – well, Regulus had no idea of his parental status, but he was sure that there was some Muggle blood in there somewhere. He smiled at the students, seeming to catch the gaze of each before he began his usual end of the year speech.

"Thank you all for joining us as we pay tribute to the efforts of yet another wonderful class of students leaving the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Such an effort is not to be taken lightly. These young men and women have endured tests of wit, will, strength, and discipline over their past seven years at this fine institution, and they have surpassed them all.

"They sit amongst you today ready to take on the full weight of being a witch or a wizard in the magical community, knowing all the while that every witch and wizard must bear the heavy burden of responsibility – responsibility to their fellow witches and wizards, to the wizarding community as a whole, to their colleagues in whichever field they choose to work, to their families, to the international wizarding community, and to non-magical communities everywhere.

"Witches and wizards must bear in mind that their actions will no longer only affect themselves. They carry an enormous level of power within them. Though magical ability does vary, every witch and wizard who has reached this point is fully competent to achieve a significant level of magic, if they choose to continue their studies independently outside of these walls.

"My charge to you today, to each and every one of you in this room, be you a first year, a seventh year, or seventy years, is to bear this responsibility with courage and with sense. I implore you, not as your headmaster, but as a fellow wizard, do not use your powers in ill will. These are dark times, as you all must know. I have faith that you all can become whoever you wish to become, but only if you use your skills in the right way."

"So now, my fellow witches and wizards, let's enjoy this final meal with our leaving students. May you all have summers full of magic and enjoyment, but do be safe. Keep in mind the things you have learned here. And always remember that Hogwarts will forever be your home."

* * *

The candles were melted about halfway down by the time the dinner plates were cleared from the dining room table at 12 Grimmauld Place. Regulus was impressed, and relieved, by how cordial his parents had remained during the meal. He knew that love no longer existed between them, knew even that they slept in separate beds and that his father had once entertained a mistress. Kreacher had muttered about it often enough, the house-elf remaining firmly loyal to Mrs. Black.

But Mr. Black was at least making an effort to maintain a healthy level of affection in public. That had been proven throughout the evening as he occasionally brushed a hand over his wife's shoulder or spoke about her gently, though she was not responsive to his actions.

Regulus never spoke ill of his parents, and he generally did not criticize his brother, either. Liam had no reason to suspect that the family was really falling apart at its seams. Regulus was sure that that fact had been the source of Sirius' jokes about the House of Black getting blacker every day, but the state of the family to him was not a laughing matter. Nor was it a public one, even for close friends. So he was not quite sure exactly why Liam seemed to be carefully assessing every question his father asked and answering in an even more mild tone.

"Well, sir," Liam began, "It's not that I'd prefer to provide magical schooling for just anyone. It's certain that some people have more ability than others. I just don't think that one's lineage can really be an effective predictor of success. Look at me – my parents have not ever shown any magical talent, nor have my siblings and my little niece has not either.

"But here I am." Liam cleared his throat and smiled at Mr. Black who acknowledged his comment with a nod before taking a sip of wine.

Orion Black had been a handsome man in his prime, and still was to some extent, though years of marital stress and ministerial work had taken their toll. He walked with a slight limp and always refused the help of others. He preferred to do everything on his own. His once thick, shiny black hair had turned completely grey and Regulus noticed that it had thinned considerably since the Christmas holidays. But he had not lost his love for debate, and his Pureblood sympathies were still as strong as ever.

Mr. Black studied Liam for a moment before responding, "Yes, granted, you have shown extraordinary magical abilities. I cannot deny that fact, and you clearly are very ambitious and seeking to prove yourself in the magical community. You wouldn't be a Slytherin if you weren't. So tell me, Mr. Merric, what is your motivation, if not trying to prove that your familial background has not set you behind the others?"

"Well, I suppose, from a certain point of view, that's exactly what I'm doing, but not because I think my blood makes me inferior. I believe that I'm working hard for the same reasons that Regulus is, as well as all of my other classmates. I believe we're all working toward similar goals. I just want to do what I love and be the best at it," Liam countered.

"I think that what a person puts into something is what they will get out of it. What my father can do, or what my brother can do, in no way predicts what I can do. We're different, we have different talents, and thank goodness, because if we were the same we would be in competition."

Mrs. Black spoke for the first time, "So, you really believe that the fact that you are not of a Pureblood line in no way affects your magical abilities?"

Regulus groaned, "Mother, please…"

Liam defended himself, "Well, no. Not all. I wouldn't have been first in our class if I had." Regulus could tell that his mother's opinion of his best friend was steadily declining.

"Well, um, shouldn't we discuss something other than politics at the table," he managed to squeak through the tense silence. "I mean, really, there are so many other things we could talk about."

"I agree," said Mr. Black, to Regulus' surprise. "Let's discuss the plans you boys have for the future. Didn't you tell me that you two were planning to get a flat together, son?"

Regulus answered affirmatively, "Yes, we're hoping to look at them over the next few days before Liam goes home for a couple weeks."

"We think we've found a couple nice ones," added Liam, who appeared slightly relieved to Regulus. "I just have to get my father's blessing and make sure the family doesn't need anything from me. They should be fine, we've never run into any sort of trouble."

"Where are you from again?" Mr. Black asked.

"The Burren, on the western coast."

Mr. Black looked thoughtful, "I've heard of that."

Liam grinned, "Most wizards have. It's supposedly a legendary site of ancient magic. I've heard stories about it since I was a lad. The name means "grey rocky place" – it describes it perfectly. The whole area is basically a slab of limestone, making the landscape really unique and more arctic than anything else. The ocean crashes against the cliffs in unnaturally high volumes of water, which have created spectacular caves and underground passageways and rivers over the centuries.

"There are lots of legends surrounding it – from wells that can cure bad vision, to ghostly horsemen, to mysterious lakes that appear and disappear and turn maidens into swans," he chuckled.

This time it was Mr. Black's turn to grin, "And do you believe it?"

Liam shook his head, "I don't know how much trust I place in the local legends. I suppose that there must be some kind of magic there, though, especially since it is mentioned in our magical history textbooks. My mom's dad used to go down to the caves a lot, but I really haven't met many magic folk in County Clare."

Regulus broke in, "Clare? Isn't that your niece's name?"

Liam nodded, "Yes, my brother, Silas, named his daughter after the county. Well, he claims he just likes the name, but I'm fairly certain that that is where he heard it first. His wife, Alana, liked it well enough so that's what they decided to name her. My sisters, Aislinn and Tara, aren't married."

"What beautiful names," Mrs. Black noted softly. Regulus felt a chill run up his spine.

"Yes, they're beautiful girls, too," Liam said slowly. At that moment, Kreacher slithered into the room and said something to Mrs. Black, then left as furtively as he had come.

Mrs. Black said, "It appears that Mr. Black and I are being called to some urgent business. I trust that you both can find your rooms."

"We'll manage, Mother," said Regulus.

"Goodnight and thank you for your hospitality. My family, of course, could not make it and my parents would have been uncomfortable at the ceremony anyway," called Liam as the Blacks rose silently and seemed to march stiffly from the room.

"Well, that was different," Liam remarked, sending Regulus into a bout of barely restrained laughter. "No, really, I don't think I've ever had to sit through a more boring meal in my entire life. You're lucky I love you like a second brother."

Regulus managed to regain control over himself and said, "See why Sirius hated it? Merlin, my father was just getting started. He loves debating."

Liam cocked an eyebrow, "I don't think he was just debating. You know better than I do how he would prefer your best friend were from a well-established Pureblood family."

_Yes, I do_, thought Regulus. But did he care? Well, yes, he did a little. But really, the friendship had been initially built on mutual need – his for academic support and Liam's for social acceptance. And he did love having a friend who actually cared about him. Liam wouldn't put up with all the slurs if he didn't care about him, right?

Of course he wouldn't. They had both moved beyond mutual benefit years ago, hadn't they?

He gave Liam a slight smile, "Well, I guess he would probably prefer that, but I've been practicing for a while now what I like to call the art of annoyance."

"The art of annoyance, eh?"

"Yeah, you see, very few things set my father and mother completely over the edge. You just have to take them partway there and then stop." Regulus emptied his goblet of wine and leaned back in his chair, folding his hands over his full belly.

Liam chuckled, "I see. I thought you were in the business of being a good son. They can disown you, too, you know. I'm sure your mother would have no qualms about giving the family fortune to her brother's children, and frankly I don't think Bellatrix and Narcissa need any more money. Andromeda might benefit from it, though."

Regulus, startled at the mention of his disowned cousin's name, gave Liam a warning look, "You know I love you, mate, but be careful which members, or former members, of my family you mention in this house. My father doesn't like Lucius Malfoy very much. He thinks that he's a little too zealous in his political, ah, _affiliations_, let's just say. And to mention Andromeda is worse than mentioning Sirius – at least he didn't go off and marry someone like Tonks."

Liam sighed, "I really don't understand why these blood battles are so important. It has to be more than just a superiority complex because that doesn't make any logical sense!"

"It's not a new battle, mate. It's been going on for centuries, you know that. The houses at Hogwarts wouldn't exist if it were a new argument."

Liam gave him a curious look, "And do you agree?"

"What?"

"Do you agree? Do you believe that I am somehow, in any way, inferior to you because I am Muggleborn?"

The intensity in Liam's eyes chilled Regulus to the bone – of course he didn't believe his friend inferior! He was clearly just as skilled as Regulus in just about everything, and even more skilled at some things. Why was he pushing this?

"Of course I don't. Why would I?" Regulus' voice cracked with emotion and he kept his gaze locked with Liam's stark blue eyes.

Liam studied him for a moment then broke the stillness and looked down, "I'm sorry. It's just, when everyone seems to be looking at you with disdain – it's hard to believe that there is someone who isn't."

He looked up at Regulus and continued, "I guess I just have to make sure you aren't sometimes. Merlin, seven years in this world and I still don't feel like I really belong."

Empathy flowed through Regulus as he responded, "It's all right. I suppose it isn't easy to go from living in a tiny seaside town to living in a magical castle where some people look down on you for something you can't change."

"No, no, it isn't," agreed Liam. He checked his watch. "I think I'm going to turn in, friend. It's getting late." He stood up, stretched, and then clapped Regulus on his back.

"Thanks so much for the past seven years. I mean it. They've been some of the best of my life. Here's to many more." He tipped his wine goblet and finished it off, nodding a final goodnight before he turned to leave the room.

"Good night, Liam," Regulus said softly.

* * *

_I should not be doing this_, thought Regulus as he put on his light outer cloak to keep warm in the midnight air.

_It's reckless, it's against everything my friendship with Liam stands for, and it's only going to make things worse. Besides, my parents aren't even open supporters of Lord Voldemort, how am I supposed to know if this will make them proud?_

Oh, but why wouldn't it? What Pureblood sympathizing parents wouldn't agree with their son joining the Death Eaters? And why should he care if they did not? He was of age; it was his decision, and his alone.

_That's right, Regulus, it's your decision, not your parents', and not Liam's. Yours. So why are you trembling?_

His hands shook as he quietly closed his wardrobe and snuffed the candle he had been using to give himself enough light to see. He thanked whatever had possessed his mother to give Liam the guest bedroom instead of having him sleep in the extra bed in his bedroom. He would have had a lot of explaining to do had he suddenly Disapparated in the middle of the night without warning.

Standing in the dark now, he quickly Apparated from his room to the forest where Lord Voldemort and the Death Eaters had set up headquarters – at least, he thought it was their headquarters. He really did not know much about the Death Eaters at all, other than that both Lucius Malfoy and Severus Snape were members, as well as almost all of his cousins, and that the group as a whole was sympathetic to the Pureblood cause. And why shouldn't he join? He was Pureblood, and most of his classmates were joining, too.

Liam's earlier comment came unbidden to his mind, _**It's just, when everyone seems to be looking at you with disdain, it's hard to believe that there is someone who isn't.**_

Regulus pushed the thought from his mind as he pushed through the trees and underbrush. _I am __**not**__ treating my best friend with disdain. I hold him in the highest regard. But that doesn't mean I have to hold every Mudblood…_

He almost tripped over a branch. What was he thinking? This was exactly what Liam had been talking about.

_Oh, come on, Regulus. Every powerful Slytherin wizard is in that group. Don't you want to associate with them? It's not like they're going to ask you to kill your best friend. Liam couldn't care less about the Death Eaters, blood battles don't matter to him. This is about you and what you want._

Right. What he wanted. And what he wanted was power, prestige, and recognition. Surely he could get all those things as a follower of Lord Voldemort.

_And I deserve them._

With that thought, he started walking deeper into the forest. The moon was high and he knew that it was likely just past midnight. He was supposed to be approaching the clearing soon, and he knew that he had to be there sometime within the first half hour of the day.

He had expected the forest to be somewhat noisy with sound, but he strangely did not hear much at all. He had not been in many forests, seeing as he had grown up in the middle of London and he had never dared to venture into the Forbidden Forest at school. He wasn't stupid, he knew it was forbidden for a reason.

Just when he felt that he may have gotten himself lost, a hand grabbed his shoulder and he whipped around, wand ready and pointing at a dark cloaked figure with a hood pulled over his head.

"Who – who are you?" croaked Regulus, trying in vain to keep his voice even as he stared at what he hoped were the person's eyes.

The figure seemed to grin though he could not see his mouth and then spoke in a booming voice, "Doesn't matter. The real question is, who are _you?_"

"R – Regulus Arcturus Black."

"And what is your purpose in these woods, Mr. Black?"

"To give my life and service to Lord Voldemort," replied Regulus firmly. This had to be some sort of test of loyalty. The hooded figured lowered his head as if to measure his bodily strength. He stiffened and appeared to look as formidable as possible.

"And you believe yourself qualified to serve the Dark Lord? You will commit yourself to do his bidding, to follow without question, to work with your comrades, even to the point of death?"

"All of the above, and more," affirmed Regulus.

"You understand that from this point forward, you will be part of a most noble association of knights dedicated to purifying the magical race and purging it of impostors?"

"I do."

"You realize that all your actions henceforth will help or hinder that group to which you choose to pledge yourself?"

"Yes!"

Regulus was becoming testy. It was late, it was cold, and he did not like being startled in the middle of an unknown forest by an unknown assailant. All he wanted was to get it over with and go to bed.

"Take it easy, boyo. We're almost done here," said the figure in a much softer voice that Regulus thought he knew from somewhere, but could not quite identify.

"Realizing all these things, do you choose freely to pledge yourself to that noble group of knights, more commonly known as the Death Eaters?"

Regulus nodded as he spoke his affirmation, "I do."

The figure held out a gloved hand, "Grasp my hand and hold on tightly. Do _not_ fall over when we reach our destination."

Regulus felt a tug – a Portkey! This was not Lord Voldemort's headquarters at all. He held on tightly and braced himself for the impact, just managing to hold his own when he hit the ground.

He looked around and saw that he was enclosed in a circle for the second time that night.

_Well, he's not too creative,_ Regulus thought to himself, but then decided to rein his thoughts when he felt the touch of Lord Voldemort's mind on his own. _I didn't know he was a Legilimens…_

The Dark Lord stood right in front of him, right in front of _him._ He could have chosen to stand in front of anyone else, but he chose him. It occurred to Regulus that he had never actually seen the Dark Lord in person. He stood a couple inches taller, just enough so that Regulus had to look slightly upward to look him in the eye. His skin was very pale and he was bald, almost snake-like in appearance. He wore jet black robes that billowed in the wind, almost blocking out the starry night sky. Regulus was filled with awe and wonder at the man – or was he more than just a man? – standing before him.

"Welcome, Regulus Black," he said in a cold voice. "I see you have decided to pledge your loyalty after all.

"Y-yes, sir," replied Regulus. The shaky voice had returned again.

A small grin spread across the Dark Lord's face and he muttered in a voice only Regulus could hear, "Fear, is it? Awe? Wonder? All those feelings are good. You're mine now, Regulus, do you understand that? Oh, there are so many things you could do that you've never even dreamed of."

_Yes, finally!_ Someone who could understand him! Someone who could use his talents.

"Oh yes, so many things you could do, if you would only open up your abilities and try. Do you want that? Is that what you seek?"

Regulus nodded emphatically, "Oh, yes, my Lord. I want that more than anything. I want to do your bidding."

"Good! Give me your left arm."

Regulus held out his arm and tried to keep his hand from shaking, tried to look steady and worthy of what he was about to receive, though he had no idea what it was. The Dark Lord looked triumphant and more powerful than ever as he slid his hand up Regulus' sleeve. His fingers were cold and rough, like snake's scales. Regulus felt a cold sweat appearing on his forehead, even though it was a cool night. Then, before he realized what was happening, the Dark Lord had pressed his wand against his inner arm and pain seared through the nerves.

Such incredible pain! It felt as if the wand were burning liquid mercury into his blood stream. The pain travelled through his left arm and into his chest, stopping only at his heart, and then it was gone. The wand was removed as quickly as it had come. He rocked forward and grasped his knees, panting. Then he rolled up his sleeve to see that a skull with a snake through it had been tattooed into his arm. It glowed black, sinister, and seemed to ripple when he flexed his arm, reminding him of the skull and crossbones of pirate flags that he had seen in the windows of Muggle shops in London.

The Dark Lord placed a hand on Regulus' shoulder and uttered, "Welcome to the family." Regulus looked up into his eyes again, but saw no comfort there, though the man seemed to be acting as if to comfort him. He shuddered, straightened, but did not look up again.

"Please join the circle. We have one more that we need to welcome into our midst tonight," ordered the Dark Lord, gesturing to an empty place between two of the hooded figures that Regulus was sure had not been there prior to this moment. He gave him a slight bow because it seemed to him to be the proper thing to do, then turned and stood between them.

Minutes later, another hooded figure appeared in their midst, grasping the hand of a small, thin-haired man who was shaking uncontrollably. The hooded figure backed away from him and a space was made in the circle for him to stand. The man looked around with darting eyes, until the Dark Lord's voice startled him and he jumped about a foot into the air.

"Welcome, Peter Pettigrew."

_Pettigrew?_ Regulus knew that name. He had been one of Sirius' friends at school. Sirius always mentioned him with a chuckle and seemed to put him down whenever he had the chance. Regulus had always felt sympathy for the boy, almost as if he were another brother dealing with Sirius' ill treatment. But what was Pettigrew doing here?

He did not seem to be the only person surprised at Pettigrew's appearance that night. He heard low mutterings around him as the Death Eaters questioned one another about Pettigrew's loyalties.

"Enough, my friends," roared the Dark Lord, and all attention was focused again on the middle of the circle. "Pettigrew has pledged his loyalty and he is one of us now."

He laid a hand on Pettigrew's shoulder, much like he had done to Regulus just moments before, and leaned down to speak quietly into his ear. Regulus watched as Pettigrew stopped shaking, began nodding at his promises, and even _smiled_ at the last moment before the Dark Lord pushed back his sleeve and burned the tattoo into his arm, causing Pettigrew to scream and look up at him in horror. He, too, doubled over and breathed heavily, as if the wind had been knocked out of him. The Dark Lord whispered in his ear again and two more Death Eaters made a space in the circle for Pettigrew.

The Dark Lord straightened and turned slowly, and as he did, each Death Eater removed his, or her, Regulus noted as his cousin Bellatrix was revealed to be among the number, hood and looked straight into his blood-shot eyes. Regulus shuddered again. He wanted to look around the circle, but he felt compelled to look absolutely forward, at no one other than his lord.

"I am proud of you all," the Dark Lord said in a booming voice. "You all have pledged such sincere loyalty to me and to our purposes. We welcome this night two more into our midst, and there are still more to come. This is our time, friends. Our work will soon be accomplished and the debt of the blood traitors will be paid in full. Go home, celebrate our imminent victory. Be ready for my call."

One by one the Death Eaters began to Disapparate until only Pettigrew, Bellatrix, her husband Rodolphus, the Dark Lord, and Regulus were left. The Dark Lord gestured for them all to stand before him and they walked forward.

"Rodolphus and Bellatrix will explain to you both how to return to the forest. We will meet again soon," said the Dark Lord, then a snap, and he was gone.

"Hello, cousin," said Bellatrix with a smirk in her voice. "I see you have decided to join us after all."

Regulus nodded in affirmation, "Was there any doubt?"

She cocked her head, "Well, I had some doubts, especially after your good-for-nothing brother abandoned the family."

Pettigrew piped up, "Sirius isn't good-for-nothing, he's…"

Rodolphus grabbed his shirt and growled, "You'll watch what you say, boy. He's a blood traitor, and I have my doubts about you, too."

He looked started as Bellatrix slapped his hand and hissed, "The Dark Lord has approved him worthy, and therefore he is worthy." She brushed a hand through Pettigrew's straw-like hair, "Besides, I think this one might come in handy some day."

An angry look passed through Rodolphus' features, but it was gone as quickly as it had come. Bellatrix slid a hand up his shoulder and patted it gently before turning to Regulus and Pettigrew.

"Well, boys, welcome again. Those tattoos, believe it or not, are there for a reason. The Dark Lord uses them to call us to his side. He sometimes calls all, and he sometimes calls only one. No matter what we are doing, when we feel it burn, we must go."

Pettigrew paled, "S-so, it's going to burn like that every single time? I could barely stand upright!"

Rodolphus laughed, "Oh, yes, it burns, boyo. Never as bad as the first time, but it burns."

Rodolphus! That was who had questioned Regulus in the forest. No wonder he recognized his voice, he had known it ever since Bellatrix married the man six years before.

Bellatrix's voice called him back to the moment, "He will tell you where to Apparate when you feel the burn. The Dark Lord does have a headquarters, but its location is secret to all but a few. You will learn quickly that there is a hierarchy here, and you do not always know your place in it. Sometimes you feel as if you are the lowliest servant, and sometimes you feel as if you are his most trusted advisor. Always remember that you are neither, and you will succeed."


	2. Chapter 2

**Heart of Gold**

**Chapter 2**

**By American Wings**

* * *

Regulus woke with a start and looked around the unfamiliar room, panicking for a moment before remembering that he was in the new flat Liam and he had found a few weeks before. They had moved their few belongings into the house on the first of July, the day that their lease became effective, and then Liam went back to Ireland to spend a few days with his family.

It was now the fifth of July and he was due back sometime that day, though Regulus did not know exactly when his friend would arrive. Though Liam had passed his Apparition test with no problems whatsoever, he still preferred to travel using Muggle transportation. He always gave Regulus an estimate of when he would arrive back home, but more often than not he returned a couple hours past that time, a fact that Regulus was counting on to be true that day.

Regulus had managed to get through the last two weeks of June with ease. Neither Liam nor his parents noticed that he had been absent from the house for a good three hours in the middle of the night, and to his delight he discovered that the tattoo on his arm disappeared when he was not being called to the Dark Lord's side. That hadn't yet happened at all, to his surprise. He wondered, perhaps, if the Dark Lord may have forgotten about him, but then reasoned that he was probably just busy.

_I mean, really, when you're trying to change the world, how much time do you have for eighteen-year-old recruits?_

At that moment, Regulus noticed the buzzing of his new mechanical alarm clock, and realized that it was the source of his startled waking. Liam had given it to him as a present for his birthday a few months prior to their leaving school, almost as a joke. Regulus had a tendency to break the majority of Muggle objects that Liam gave him, but the clock, Liam figured, was something that he would not break. He might stuff it in a sock drawer in annoyance, but he probably would not break it.

Regulus was considering that very option when the numbers to which the hands were pointing on the face of the clock finally registered – six forty-five. In the morning. Meaning, he was up before dawn. Because he had an interview – the interview!

Regulus threw off the covers and scrambled out of bed. How could he have forgotten? He never would have set the alarm at such an early time unless he had to be somewhere important. He relaxed a little at the touch of a warm rug to his feet, a stark contrast to the flagstone floors of the Slytherin dungeon. It seemed as though the ticking of the clock was getting louder, just to taunt him as the time of the interview drew closer and closer.

He had sent an owl to the Department of Spells and Charms approximately three months prior to his leaving Hogwarts seeking a job which would allow him to develop his skills as a spell creator. At least, that's how he thought of himself. He was not sure exactly _how_ spells were created, but he had been fascinated when Severus Snape taught him some of his self-created spells in his sixth year, right before Severus himself left school. He had always had a gift for language, though he knew that the words of a spell were more of a focusing tool than the magic itself. It was some combination of interconnecting forces, but what that combination was he had little idea.

But he was determined that he would figure out what it was. After all, he had to be able to serve the Dark Lord in some significant way in order to rise up in rank. Severus, surely, was already high among the comrades. Regulus had not yet been able to talk to his former friend, and had not even heard anything of him in over a year, but he figured that that was just Severus' way. He was very power-hungry and ambitious, but he was also subtle and not one to throw himself into the public eye for the sake of it. Regulus admired that about him and tried to emulate the example as much as he could, especially since Sirius seemed to be so much more of a show-off. That did not matter, though, especially since he was going to make his own fortunes in his own way. And he did not need the help of a now-illegitimate brother.

The hands ticked forward again, and Regulus groaned as he realized that he had not yet unpacked all of his robes. He generally wore Muggle clothing since his flat was in the middle of London and he had had little use for robes since the end of the school year, but he figured that he had better dress nicely for an interview at the Ministry of Magic. He glanced at the trunks in a corner of the room, trying to remember the contents of each. The interview was at eight o'clock, and he still had to take a shower and make himself presentable. He thought for a moment and decided that he would wear his dark sapphire robes, once he found the correct trunk. He remembered his cousin Andromeda telling him once that they brought out the colour of his eyes…

Forty-five minutes later he pulled the robes over his head and stepped back to look in the mirror. His smooth black hair was pulled back at the nape of his neck, with a few stray strands of hair hanging loose, which he quickly tucked behind his ears. He noticed that the robes really did make his eyes look blue, rather than steely grey – Sirius' eyes were bluer than his were. The robes fit him well, and made him look taller and more dignified. He was pleased to note that his skin tone was a bit darker with the blue robes than it had been when compared to his black school robes.

The clock hands ticked forward again, reminding him that it was just past seven-thirty. He stuck his wand inside a hidden pocket in his sleeve and picked up his room, trying to calm the butterflies in his stomach that seemed to multiply as he thought more and more about the fact that this interview could determine his worth to the Dark Lord. It was more than just a job. If he could rise in rank in the Ministry, he would be able to provide all kinds of valuable information. He would become a secret and trusted advisor, more than just a follower. Perhaps even the closest, the one who would be able to understand him the most. It was not that he did not believe what his cousin Bellatrix had said. It was that, at the same time, he knew that there was some way to draw closer to everyone. It was harder with some people, like Severus, but even Severus could be cracked.

"What are you all dressed up for?" Liam's voice made Regulus jump a foot. He turned around and saw the blonde man leaning against his doorframe. It was clear that Liam was attempting to appear energetic, but the dark circles under his eyes gave him away. He had obviously not slept at all on his trip back from Ireland. His relatively short hair was as tousled as it could possibly become, and he looked like he had just risen from bed.

"Liam! I wasn't expecting you so soon," Regulus said.

"Yes, well, I decided to travel through the night rather than wait for this morning. I thought I might be able to do some unpacking and get my room in proper order. Didn't catch a wink of sleep, unfortunately, so I think I may just go take a nap," Liam yawned. "But seriously, where are you going?"

"Oh, well, I have an interview at the Ministry of Magic at eight o'clock."

Liam raised an eyebrow, "The Ministry?"

"Yeah."

"But you hate the Ministry."

Regulus knew that that question was bound to come at some point.

"Yes, well, hate is a very strong word. I _dislike_ the Ministry, but you have to admit that they have a bit of a monopoly on jobs in the wizarding world."

Liam chuckled, "All right, fine. You win. You'd better hurry, though, or you're going to be late."

Regulus checked the ever-ticking clock and saw that Liam was right. He gave him a hasty good-bye, took one last look in the mirror to make sure he looked exactly the way he wanted to, and thought very hard about the telephone booth entrance to the Ministry. He felt the familiar tingling sensation of Apparition and seconds later found himself exactly where he hoped he would end up, inside the telephone booth. He hated being seen by Muggles when he was wearing robes. He dialled the number, and waited for the voice.

"Welcome to the Ministry of Magic. Please state your name and business."

"Regulus Black. I'm here to interview for a position in the Department of Spells and Charms"

"Thank you. Visitor, please take the badge and attach it to the front of your robes," said the cool female voice.

Regulus took the square badge and read, _Regulus Black, Interview_. He pinned it carefully and waited for the voice to come again as the telephone booth began to sink into the ground.

"Visitor to the Ministry, you are required to submit to a search and present your wand for registration at the security desk, which is located at the far end of the Atrium." The booth came to a slow halt and opened to the bright room. Regulus could hear the flow of the fountain even before he stepped into the room.

"The Ministry wishes you a pleasant day!"

He scanned the room and saw a window and desk counter opposite the telephone booth behind which a small, slight man was busting about. He strode over to the desk, wand in hand, unsure of how to get the man's attention. He could see tufts of curling white hair sticking up over the top of the desk and he could not quite figure out what it was that the man was doing. Finally, he reached that end of the room and peered over to see that the man was sifting through a file cabinet on the floor.

"Good morning," Regulus said smoothly, causing the man to leap up in surprise. He was taller than Regulus had supposed, but he still had to look slightly up to meet Regulus' blue-grey eyes. He was wearing the forest-green robes with gold stripes of a Security-Keeper, from the same department as the Auror officers, but not as prestigious a position. The Security-Keepers were generally posted at all Ministry offices around the United Kingdom and used to keep the peace at most Ministry events. Some special details were used in cases of emergency along with the Auror task forces. Many security personnel had other part-time jobs. Regulus noted a gold star on the sleeve of the man's robes, denoting his past service in the war against Grindelwald. He had probably been in one of the elite security details.

"Well, good morning to you, m'boy," the man said evenly with a hint of a Scottish accent. "How can I help you today?"

Regulus set his wand on the desk carefully and replied, "I'm here for an interview with the Department of Spells and Charms. I was told upon entry to submit my wand for checking here. Could you direct me toward the proper floor for my interview?"

The Scotchman nodded and picked up his wand, examining it carefully while muttering under his breath. The man turned it over and cast a few spells before handing it back.

"Well, apart from a few nicks and the usual wear and tear I usually see on the wands of young wizards such as yourself, you wand appears to be in perfect working condition." He returned it to the counter. "I was informed by the department of your imminent arrival when I came in this morning. You'll find a built man of about your height on the third floor. His name is Tobias Jackson, and he's an old mate of mine."

He smiled at Regulus, "Good luck with the interview."

Regulus thanked the man for his help as he tucked the wand back in the hidden sleeve pocket. He walked over to the bank of lifts to the right of the security booth and felt his stomach turning in knots as it rose four levels toward the fourth floor. This was not his first visit to the Ministry. His father had worked there for many years in the Department of Wizarding Business. The Black family had been built on trade and prestige, until it came to Sirius and Regulus. Sirius had thought about becoming an Auror, or a Security-Keeper. Regulus remembered him talking with his friend James Potter about possibly becoming a member of the Orion Force, the premier fighting force in the Department of Wizarding Security, just a step below an Auror. He had no idea whether his brother was meeting his dreams, or if he had changed them.

And what was Regulus doing? He did not fully know. He wanted to do something that would make him someone. He did not want to just be another Black carrying on the family business. Let Lucius and Narcissa do that. They seemed quite willing to be involved in commerce, and even in black market dealings. But Regulus was more interested in creating. He knew that no one knew the names of spell creators, but he wanted to create something much larger, some place that was magical. Like Diagon Alley, or Hogsmeade, but different. He did not know exactly, but he knew the desire. And he knew that this was the first way for him to get there.

The doors opened and he saw a man sipping a mug of steaming liquid and reading the morning paper on a bench in what looked to be a reception room. The man's hair was a silvery-grey with hints of red. He cleared his throat and the man looked up.

"Ah, Regulus Black, is it?" the man's deep voice echoed in the empty room.

Regulus nodded, "Yes, sir. I am here for an interview with the Department of Spells and Charms. Are you Mr. Jackson?"

"I am indeed, but call me Jacks, everyone else does," the man stood and extended his arm to shake Regulus' hand. "Please sit down, Mr. Black. Would you like a cup of tea?"

"I would appreciate it very much, thanks," Regulus replied. Jacks conjured a tea kettle and another cup out of thin air. Regulus saw that there were already leaves in the cup, and Jacks motioned for him to pour as much water as he wished. He did so and let it settle for a few moments to mix the contents and cool down.

"All right, now that you are settled, let's have a little talk, shall we?" Jacks asked. Regulus waited for the first question, trying to appear at ease, but so sure that he was failing miserably.

"Ah, of course."

Jacks chuckled deeply, "Relax, Mr. Black. This isn't life and death here. I noted on your application that you just recently left Hogwarts, with relatively high marks might I add, especially in those classes that require the use of a wand." Regulus nodded.

"Have you always been good at wand magic, Mr. Black?"

Regulus thought this an odd question, "Well, I suppose. I mean, I've always had an affinity for magic, but, don't most wizards?"

Jacks took a sip of tea and agreed, "Of course, yes. We all have an affinity for magic, but what I am asking is, were you always better at your wand specific classes, like Charms and Transfiguration, or Defense Against the Dark Arts, or were you also equally as good at potions and astronomy?"

Regulus cocked an eyebrow, "Don't my marks give an indication of what type of student I was?"

"Regulus, calm down. I'm just trying to get an idea of how excited you are about what you can do. I have full faith that you can do anything we ask of you, but the question is, do you want to do it? Why are you looking to do this job?" Jacks leaned back in his chair and stared him straight in the eye.

He noticed that all the muscles in his body had tensed up since he had sat down for tea with Jacks. He started to relax each of them and as he thought carefully about his answer. Why did he want this job? _Was_ he excited about it?

"I apologize, sir. I suppose I'm used to my abilities being questioned, rather than my motives for doing them." Regulus took a sip of the cooling tea. He had nearly forgotten about it.

Jacks smiled, "It's all right. Now, what of my question?"

Regulus answered thoughtfully, "I guess I originally applied for the job because I've always wondered how magic works."

"Ah, I see. Go on, then."

"I know that there has to be some sort of relationship between the caster of a spell, the spell itself, meaning the words of the spell, the wand, and the object that the spell is working upon. But what that relationship is, I have no idea. I just know that it would be brilliant to be able to understand it and tap into it," finished Regulus, somewhat breathless.

He hadn't known that he had the ability to explain himself that plainly. He was so introverted that usually explaining himself to another person scared him immensely. What would Jacks think of his answer?

"Ah ha!" Jacks nearly shouted. Regulus nearly spilled his tea.

"You have hit on the crux of it!"

"I have?"

Jacks nodded emphatically, "Indeed. That relationship means everything about whether or not a spell will succeed, or fail, even to the point of how strong it is. But, you'll learn about that in time."

"So, you can teach me how to wield a power like that?" The excitement in Regulus' voice annoyed him slightly, but it was too important of a question to care. To be able to understand that relationship and use it for his purposes, well, that was exactly what he was looking to accomplish.

Jacks studied him for a moment and took another sip of tea before replying, "Is that what you're looking for? Power?"

The question made Regulus very uncomfortable, "Well, uh, I guess, no. Not power exactly. Understanding. Something I can use."

Jacks took another sip, "But you can use magic no matter what. You don't have to understand what makes it work."

"Yes, but understanding always increases one's ability to use something else, whether it is magic or mechanical," Regulus retorted. He was beginning to think that this "interview" was more of a way to test his brain power rather than a way to decide whether he was right for the job, and that was fine. As long as he got it.

"Very true," Jacks said. "To answer your question, no, I can't teach you how to wield that power because in reality, the power that you are thinking of doesn't exist. Any witch or wizard who thinks magic through to its completion would be able to wield its full potential power."

Regulus was confused, "Then why do I have greater magical ability than others? Why are my spells sometimes stronger?"

"It depends on a lot of factors, Regulus. For one thing, it depends on your intentions. Granted, I haven't known you very long, but I can already tell that when you want something, you work extremely hard to get it, is that right?"

"Well, of course."

"All right, then. I think it would be safe for me to assume that you work the same way when you cast spells. You know what you want, and you focus very hard to get it done," finished Jacks. He took another sip of tea.

"But, what does that have to do with anything?"

"Everything! Well, I'll give you an example."

Jacks set his tea cup on the table and stood, whipping out his wand so quickly that Regulus did not have a chance to see where it came from. He stood in the centre of the room, looking about himself critically until he seemed to settle on something.

He looked at Regulus, "You know the charm for lifting something in the air?"

"Of course, _Wingardium Leviosa."_ Did the man think he was a first-year?

Jacks smiled, "Yes, that's how you were taught it in school. And even if you pointed to that pillow and said those words, with the intention of lifting that pillow in the air, it would work. But, you don't have to."

He pointed to the pillow and said clearly, "_Leviosa!"_ And the pillow rose. He pointed the wand, and the pillow returned to the chair again.

Regulus was extremely confused, "But don't the words mean something? Why did the pillow rise with only half of the spell?"

"Because the first half of the spell relates to _what_ you were lifting in class, feathers," said Jacks as he sat back down in his chair. "You see, the words of a spell don't matter as much as the intention behind them. They are used to focus your mind on what is to be done. You associate the word _Leviosa _with lifting, and so your intent and the proper expression of the word creates the result you want. But what of witches and wizards who speak other languages? Surely they do not all use the same words for every spell. Have you ever thought about that?"

Regulus was taken aback, "Not really, no. So are you saying the words don't matter?"

Jacks shook his head, "Of course they matter, just not as much as you think they do. They are there to focus your mind, and they do carry some weight in themselves. Words can be used to craft meanings, especially if you use magical languages. Part of a spell always has an element of a magical language, otherwise it wouldn't work. But in the end, if everyone understood how it worked, they would all be able to do it to the best of their ability. There isn't some hidden magical formula that only the strong can access.

"And besides, the Department isn't about making magic available to the few. It's about making it accessible to all witches and wizards. How much do you know about what we do here?"

Regulus shrugged, "Not much. Obviously, you deal with matters relating to spells and charms, and I assume that that encompasses transfiguration, fighting the dark arts, charms, all those sorts of things that I learned at school."

Jacks nodded, "It does. We do all sorts of things, from spell creation, including research, to textbook writing, to seminars for witches and wizards who are doing research and need our assistance, to aiding other witches and wizards practically who may not have the ability to do wand magic as well as others can. There are an almost unlimited number of options for you in the department, and we would love to have you among us, if that is what you want to do."

"I'd like that, I think," Regulus agreed. "When can I start? What is it that you'll have me doing?"

"You'll probably start out in a more research-based position until we can learn more about your abilities. Today is a Thursday morning, how would you like to come in on Monday?"

"Sure, that sounds fine to me," Regulus said. That would give him the entire weekend to prepare for his first day of work. The more prepared he was, the more the Dark Lord would be able to use him for his purposes. As Jacks finished off his cup of tea, Regulus remembered something.

"I have a question."

"Yes?"

"Is Severus Snape a member of this Department?"

Jacks gave him an odd look, "Well, no, we never actually hired him. He did apply for a position, but some of my colleagues felt that he seemed to be a little off in character."

"Oh," Regulus replied. "I see. He's just an acquaintance of mine from school, that's all. I know he had extraordinary magical abilities. He used to show me things that he had created. I just figured that if he was here, it was one less person to get to know."

"Understandable," Jacks said. "Well, it was good to meet you, Regulus. Have a good weekend, and I'll see you here on Monday morning at nine o'clock. We only make interviewees come in early."

"Thank you, Jacks. Have a good weekend yourself."

* * *

Regulus Apparated back to his flat and sat down immediately to send an owl to his father about his job. He knew that he would be proud of his son for getting a job so quickly and for doing it largely on his own initiative. It may not be a business related job, but he was certainly using business skills, and that was what mattered.

Liam trudged into the kitchen as he was attaching the letter to the leg of his owl and sending her out the window to deliver the letter. He looked much more refreshed and awake than he had earlier that morning. He busied himself with getting a glass of juice and then sat down next to Regulus.

"So, how did it go?"

Regulus smiled, "I got the job!"

"Congratulations!" Liam clapped a hand on his shoulder. "When do you start?"

"On Monday, nine in the morning. Probably just doing research, nothing too big."

Liam shook his head, "But at least you have something. I'd be willing to bet that most of our classmates haven't found a job yet that they'd really like. Besides, this way you can learn more about the theory behind what you're doing before you have to go out and do it practically. I think it's a good position for you."

Regulus nodded, "Thanks, mate. How about you? Any job prospects yet? How was Ireland?"

"No job prospects yet, but Ireland was great. You should see Clare. She's the most adorable little girl I've ever seen. Silas and Alana are enamoured with her, as are Aislinn and Tara, of course," Liam had a far-off look in his eye as he talked about his young niece.

"It seems like you are, too," Regulus teased his friend lightly.

Liam grinned, "Well, of course I am. She's my little niece. I'm finally not the baby in the family!"

Both boys laughed and Liam drank some more juice.

"But she really is something."

"How old is she now?" Regulus questioned.

"About two and a half. She was born in February of 1977."

"And your brother and sisters are…?"

"Silas is twenty-nine, Alana is twenty-seven, but Alana is Silas' wife. They got married, I don't know, six years ago? Yeah, about six years ago. Then Aislinn is twenty-five, and Tara is twenty-one."

Regulus nodded, "I see. Yeah, I knew that they were all older than you, and I knew the order, but I was unsure of where exactly they all fit in to the formula. What did you lot do while you were there?"

"We live in a seaside town, you know. My dad's family have been involved in sea trade for centuries, that's why we never experienced hardship with the potato famines. In fact, we were really very fortunate. So many Irishmen wanted to leave that our business increased dramatically."

He grinned, "It's amazing what a little luck can do."

Regulus laughed, "Luck. You know better than to believe in luck. You make your future and your success."

Liam looked thoughtful, "It's true to some extent. You do make your own success, but you can't control it all, friend. Sometimes the future makes you. Sometimes there's just something bigger controlling it all."

"You believe that?"

"I'm Irish, of course I do."

"But you're also a Slytherin," Regulus pointed out.

Liam gave him a look, "But I was Irish first. In any case, my family loves the sea, and it's not just because we've built our lives upon it. There's just something about being by the ocean that reminds me of who I am and who I want to be.

"Like, I feel so small and insignificant next to it. When I see those waves crashing into the rocks and I feel the spray on my face, I'm just reminded of how I'm only one piece of the larger puzzle. There's something bigger at work here. And maybe I'm not going to solve it, but I can try."

It always amazed Regulus when Liam got like this. He seemed to go into his own world, exploring his own thoughts and dreams. Regulus did not know why, but he could never seem to get into the place that Liam went when he found something that he was really passionate about. Liam just seemed to get lost in it and pulled away by its current, but at the same time, he seemed to control the current. It was something that he couldn't figure out.

"So what's the puzzle?"

"The puzzle?" Liam finished off his juice and leaned back in the chair. "I don't know, Regulus. Maybe it's me, maybe it's what I'm supposed to be doing with my life. Maybe it's what I'm supposed to be doing for other people. Maybe it's just the whole purpose of all of this. I mean, don't you ever think about that? Don't you ever think about what you're doing here, why you are where you are? Why we're here together, you and me?"

Regulus shrugged, "I suppose, sometimes. I don't know. It's not something I think about all the time. Sure, I have my dreams, I know what I'd like to do with my life, and I believe that I can control my future, that if I just make the right decisions I'll get where I want to go. I guess I'm here because I want to be here."

"And you got the job because you made it happen?"

"Yeah. I worked hard for it, and I received a return for my labour."

"Hmm," Liam sighed. "I see what you're saying. I guess I just look at things differently, that's all."

Regulus grinned, "Well, we all have our opinions. Doesn't change our relationship, though, right?"

Liam shook his head, "Of course not, friend. I'd give my life for you, you know that. Well, back to your original question. Dad and Silas are still in the boat business, so I helped them a bit hauling and managing accounts. I spent some time with my sisters, and with Clare. I helped my mom around the house. I saw friends that I hadn't seen in quite a long time. Visited our parish priest and had a good conversation with him. Basically, I just caught up with people.

"I love being back there, you know. I'll always love Ireland, and the Burren especially. It's home. No where else will ever feel like that for me, not even here."

Liam looked far off again, and Regulus began to feel uncomfortable. He did not really have anywhere like that, and he knew it. He felt most at home when he was with his friend. Twelve Grimmauld Place was not exactly a place he felt he would be able to look on twenty years later with fond memories, and he did not even feel like he would be able to look at Hogwarts that way. Someday, maybe somewhere would feel like home. But he hadn't found it yet.

"Do you think you're going to go back there, or try to work here?" Regulus asked carefully.

Liam shook his head, "No, the work is better here. I love working on the docks, and my family could sure use my abilities to help out, but it would cause too many questions among the other crews. People are already asking where I've been for the past seven years. Silas and Aislinn never went away for school, and Tara only started going away for school because my parents did not want my disappearance to seem out of the ordinary. If they had two children away, maybe people wouldn't notice as much."

"But they did."

"Yeah, they did. How could they not? Our family is so close. Neither Tara nor Aislinn are working for my father, but they are still in the same town. I've never met anyone else who could do magic, and I'm scared to look. I'm scared of what I might find there."

"You mean in terms of blood battles?"

Liam answered affirmatively, "Basically. I want to keep my family away from all of that. I've never told them about it, so they have no idea. They don't need to know. It's my battle, not theirs."

"I understand, mate. I wish I had a family like that."

Liam smiled sympathetically at Regulus, and then his face lit up, "Oh! I forgot to tell you. Aislinn is going to come visit in a month or so."

"Really?" The thought of meeting one of the members of Liam's perfect family was very appealing to Regulus.

"Yeah. She has two weeks or so of vacation in August, so she's going to come see the flat, and I'm going to take her to Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley as well. Hopefully I'll have a job by then so I can show her around there, too," Liam said excitedly. "Oh, it'll be great. You'll like her a lot, I know you will."

Regulus replied, "I'm sure I will. I'm sure I'd love all of your family. Any job prospects, by the way?"

Liam waved a hand in the air, "I have some ideas, none too concrete. I didn't think about it too much at school, which is something that I'm regretting now. I'd like to get into something political, I think. There's just so much about the wizarding world that I'd like to change."

"Liam, you do realize that you're just one person," Regulus said, with what he hoped was a warning tone.

"Yeah, yeah, I know. I can't save the world. But maybe I'll be able to do some good. This blood battle business just kills me. I feel like maybe I'm in a position to do something about it. You know, the Muggleborn Slytherin. Maybe people will think that I have a good angle," Liam's voice trailed off and he started playing with his glass. Regulus hoped that he wouldn't drop it.

"I figure I'll look for a job in Diagon Alley just to make some money first. I'll be able to meet more people that way. Maybe look for a political action group, some group of people who are involved in trying to end all this stuff."

Regulus sighed, "Well, you know I wish you luck, even if I don't think it's going to work."

Liam chuckled, "I thought you didn't believe in luck."

Regulus grinned, "I don't."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence, buddy."

"Any time."

* * *

Toward the end of the day, Regulus looked about his room surveying the work he had accomplished. It was actually starting to look like a home. He glanced at the little clock and saw that it was eight in the evening. Liam had gone out after supper to look for job possibilities in Diagon Alley, and to meet up with some friends at The Leaky Cauldron. His father and mother had returned his owl with a congratulatory note. And there he sat, looking out over the London skyline.

He heard a tap at the window and saw a jet black owl staring at him expectantly. He shuffled over to let it in and stepped back as the bird swooped into the room, bearing a note attached to its small claw.

"Thanks," muttered Regulus as the bird held out its claw to allow him better access to the note and then swooped away as quickly as it had come. Regulus shut and bolted the window before taking a look at the note.

_To: Regulus Black, London_

_From: Rodolphus Lestrange_

_Good evening. Be ready tomorrow at six. Find a reason to be away from absolutely everyone._

_Rodolphus_

He stared at the note. Be ready. And he planned to be.

* * *

_**Author's Note:**__ When I knew Regulus needed a job, I never figured that giving him one in the Department of Spells and Charms would require so much research into how JKR's spell theory really works. While it becomes much more important later, the issue did arise in this chapter, so I wanted to list the sources that I used in order to understand her unique theory better. The following articles can all be found at the Harry Potter Lexicon__:_

"_Familiarity: The Key to Understanding Spellwork," by Paul Dionne_

"_Limits of Magic," by Caius Marcius_

"_A Magical Worldview," by Steve Vander Ark_

"_Spells and Charms: The Nature of Magic," by Amy Z_


	3. Chapter 3

**Heart of Gold**

** Chapter 3 **

**By American Wings**

* * *

Memories of his midnight voyage to Lord Voldemort's hideout, or at least his previous hideout, came unbidden to Regulus' mind as he sat on his springy bed pondering what he might need to bring with him to wherever Rodolphus was taking him. He had already dressed himself in dark-coloured robes and tucked his wand safely inside the sleeve. What else could he possibly need as he served the Dark Lord? The bed creaked as he leaned back against the wall and surveyed his room, hoping that something would jump out at him.

Maybe a knife? He had a knife that he had found in the Black family attic one day when there were visitors in the house and he was looking for a place to disappear for a while. He presumed that it had belonged to his grandfather, but not wanting to anger his father, he had never mentioned it to him and merely nicked it from its storage trunk.

_That's something that could come in handy,_ he thought as he rose from the bed, causing the springs to creak even louder than before. He shuffled through a trunk at the foot of his bed and found the black handle attached to the silver blade, safely capped so that he would not injure himself if he happened to brush against it as he rummaged through the trunk's contents. He heard the ticking of his mechanical clock and glanced at the desk – 5:45. Fifteen minutes to get "away from absolutely everyone."

A final look around the room convinced him that there was really nothing else that he felt would aid in his service of the Dark Lord, at least not on this occasion. Maybe once he had helped with a few tasks he would have a better idea of what the Dark Lord required of his servants.

"Hey Liam," he yelled down the hallway.

"Yeah?" Liam's voice was muffled by his closed door.

"I'm going out for a bit. Do you need anything?"

Liam's door opened a crack and he stuck his head out, "Not tonight, mate. Thanks for asking. Where are you going?"

Regulus shrugged, "Here and there, about. I figured if I was out anyway, I might as well check with you."

"Thanks for asking," Liam said. "I don't need anything, but do you want some company?"

"No need for that, I don't want to distract you from whatever you're doing. I just need to spend some time alone."

It was a lie. He knew it was a lie. But, it was a lie Liam would believe, and he would be spending _some_ of the time alone in transit. Just not all of the time.

"All right, mate. Don't get lost," teased Liam gently. Regulus grinned and waved him off before Disapparating to a wooded area just north of the Black family country house in Yorkshire.

He could not think of any place in London where he would be away from absolutely any other person, and it was a place that he knew well so he did not have to be afraid of botching up his Apparating. He started to walk toward a clearing in the forest and checked his pocket watch for the time – one minute before six. He decided to stop by a tree and wait. He could hear birds fluttering above him in the trees and shuffling coming from somewhere in the forest. Though he knew he was not far from the house, he still felt slightly afraid of what might be there that he could not see. He had never played in the forest at night as a child; what lived there that he had never encountered?

A minute later, though, it did not matter. He doubled over as he felt the tattoo on his left forearm burn with an intensity that he had not remembered from his first visit to the Death Eaters. He grasped his arm and clenched his teeth, hoping that his cousin-in-law would not Apparate to the clearing and see him at that moment. Just then, however, he saw a location in his mind's eye. He was certain he had never been there before and had no idea how he would manage to get there by Apparition, but he decided to take a chance and thought very hard about getting there, and soon he felt the uncomfortable sensation of Apparition.

"Good to see you in one piece."

Regulus first realized that he was somewhere totally different. And then he realized that he was staring at the ground. He jerked himself upward, hoping that very few people had seen him in such a position. But when he looked around, he realized that he could see only Rodolphus Lestrange. Where was everybody else?

"Uh, hi, Rodolphus," Regulus said. "Where is everyone?"

Rodolphus shrugged, "We may be everyone. The Dark Lord does not call all of his servants together at every meeting. We rarely know who we're working with until he chooses to tell us. I am here because I am your sponsor, the person in charge of you so to speak."

Regulus recoiled inwardly, "My sponsor? In charge of me?"

"You need to learn the ins and outs before you can work on your own, boyo. Don't forget that you have to prove your worth before the Dark Lord will be able to trust you with even minute details of his plans," Rodolphus retorted.

Regulus opened his mouth to respond, but just at that moment heard a cold, yet enticing voice, "He's right, you know. I don't want to just send you into the fray with only the meagre skills taught to you by that school."

Lord Voldemort. The Dark Lord had been there the entire time, and he had not realized it. He felt a pang of shame for the way he had spoken and acted – would the Dark Lord decide not to use him after all? Would he decide to try to break Regulus' pride and force him to work even harder to prove his worth? He had forgotten how small it felt to be in the Dark Lord's presence. He was not that much taller than Regulus, but Regulus was used to being taller than most people.

"Welcome back, my young servant," the Dark Lord said smoothly. "Have these last few weeks puffed you up so that you feel ready to take on the entire forces of the Ministry of Magic on your own?"

Regulus shuffled his feet and stared at the ground, "Well, I, uh, rather, I just thought that maybe you had a mission for me to do on my own. Something that was only mine."

The Dark Lord cracked a thin sliver of a smile, "I see. You felt that, perhaps, because you have secured for yourself such a choice job in the Ministry that I might just give you an assignment all for yourself from which you can glean all the glory."

"Well, no, of course I would be working for you. Not for myself."

He was back peddling. He knew he had made a mistake. How was he to correct it? With flattery? Humbleness? Blatant honesty? But Voldemort was a Legilimens. He would know if Regulus was lying.

"Yes, I do know, Regulus," the Dark Lord said softly. "Are you lying to me? You are hiding your emotions very poorly this evening."

Perhaps a confession.

"Please forgive me, my lord," Regulus began. "I was not thinking. I work for you, not for myself."

"Look at me, Regulus."

Regulus looked up, straight into his eyes. Voldemort seemed to search his face for a moment and then he felt the touch against his mind. He almost stepped back in fear, but he suddenly felt light, soothed, and opened his mind. A moment later, the Dark Lord seemed satisfied and spoke again.

"I do have a special task for you."

"For me?"

The Dark Lord nodded, "Yes, which is why I have called you here tonight. I need you to do some research for me in the Department of Spells and Charms. I have tried in the past to place some of my loyal agents there, but they have frequently failed to earn the good graces of the director."

"Jacks?"

"Is that what he's calling himself these days? Yes, Tobias Jackson, former member of the Orion Force. He's apparently been tough to get past…"

As his voice trailed off, Regulus felt as if he had finally done something right.

"Well, he seemed to fancy me, sir. That is to say, he was very kind and eager to hear what I thought about things that the department did and to help me adjust to working there," Regulus said earnestly, hoping to impress.

"Is that so?" Voldemort replied softly. Regulus swallowed a lump in his throat and nodded.

"Well, then, Regulus, it looks like you have done something right, and I didn't even have to ask you," he said, and cracked his small sliver of a smile. "I need you to get as much information as you can from this man about the doings of the department – what they are working on and developing, which witches and wizards are asking for help, anything you can provide. If you can get me that, Regulus, I may just have something bigger and more important to give you next."

Regulus nodded eagerly, "Yes, of course. When would you like this information?"

"As soon as you can get it. Tell Rodolphus when you have finished and he will inform me," the Dark Lord said. "That is all for tonight."

With that, he vanished.

Regulus turned to Rodolphus, "So, that's it? Just get information about my department? That's not very exciting."

"What did you expect, boyo?" Rodolphus laughed. "That the Dark Lord would give you his most dangerous assignments to start out with? That he trusts you with all of his secrets? Don't forget that you have to work to earn your worth. Can you get back home all right?"

Regulus nodded.

"Good. I'll be in touch."

* * *

Monday morning came more quickly than Regulus expected it to. His first day of work passed without much incident – he only managed to spill tea down his front about three times due to sheer nervousness, and to misuse the filing system so that the catalogue of spells got completely out of order. Jacks, however, was just as patient with Regulus as he had been during the interview and gave him as much assistance as he needed. He was very grateful, but the thought of how important the older man was to his success as a Death Eater kept creeping up in his mind throughout the day. Finally, five o'clock came and he Apparated home exhausted and ready for something to eat. He arrived in his room and smelled something wonderful coming from the kitchen.

"Regulus? Is that you?" Liam's voice seemed to be coming from his room rather than the kitchen.

Regulus opened his door and walked into the hallway, "Yeah, mate, what are you up to? What are you making? It smells delicious."

"You must be Regulus," a female voice murmured behind him. He whipped around and saw a young woman with short, curly blonde hair the same colour as Liam's standing at the end of the hallway near the kitchen.

"Uh, yeah, I'm Regulus Black. Pleased to meet you, miss…"

She smiled, "I'm Aislinn Merric, Liam's oldest sister."

"I thought you weren't coming for another few weeks?"

"She decided to come earlier to help me find a job," Liam answered with a smile. "She'll be here for three weeks or so to help out. Isn't that great?"

Regulus nodded, "Yeah, that's brilliant, really great. It's nice to finally meet you, Aislinn." He extended his hand to shake hers and her whole face lit up.

"Oh, it's wonderful to meet you, too! Liam has told us all so much about you and how you taught him about the wizarding world. I can't imagine what it would be like to be transplanted somewhere that you had no idea about and have to adjust to it and…"

Liam broke in, "Slow down, Linn! He's not going to be able to make heads or tails of what you're saying!" He chuckled.

Aislinn blushed, "Sorry, Regulus. I start talking fast when I'm excited."

Regulus replied kindly, "It's not a problem. I'm glad you're excited to be here. What are you making that smells so absolutely delicious?"

"It's beef in stout."

"Stew?"

Her forehead crinkled in confusion, "Well, yes, haven't you had stew before?"

"His family tends to serve more upscale fare, sis," Liam told her gently. "But don't worry; I'm sure he'll love it. He needs to learn how to eat on a budget!"

Aislinn turned to Regulus and he nodded an affirmation, "It smells wonderful. I'm sure it will taste just as good."

"Thanks," she said with a smile. "I'm going to go make sure it doesn't burn. Dinner will be in just about ten minutes, boys."

They both nodded their thanks and she walked back down the hallway. Regulus leaned against the wall and turned to question his friend.

"So, she just showed up?"

Liam shrugged, "Yeah. About twenty minutes ago. Apparently Mum and Dad decided that I needed a little motivation in my job hunting."

Regulus replied, "Well, you do…"

"Bullocks," Liam retorted. "I'm perfectly fine."

"Are you now?" Regulus teased. "You have a job then?"

Liam crossed his arms and looked at the ceiling, "Well, no, not exactly. But I should have one soon. Not everyone can just walk into a place and get a job in a matter of minutes like you can."

"No, but it would help if you were out looking for one," Regulus pointed out.

Liam shrugged, "It'll happen. I am still thinking about doing some work for a political group, though."

Regulus sighed, "Liam, we've talked about this. You're just one person. You're never going to be able to get everyone to go along with what you believe."

"Bloody hell, will you just let me pursue what I want to?" Liam snapped.

Regulus raised his eyebrows in surprise, "Are you off your rocker? I'm not saying you can't do it; all I'm saying is that I think you should be careful. You're going to draw attention to yourself, mate, and it's not going to be positive attention. I don't want you getting yourself hurt. And besides, don't you think you'd better be a bit quieter about this in front of your sister.

Liam paled. The boys listened for a moment, but all they heard from the kitchen was the sound of running water and the sound of bubbling stew on the cooker.

"She's probably doing the washing up," said Liam with relief. They stood in silence for a few moments, both staring at the floor.

"What's happening here?" Regulus asked slowly. "I don't understand. Why are you being so hostile all of a sudden?"

Liam eyed him warily and sighed, "I don't know. Really, I don't. We never used to row like this. Why are things so tense?"

Regulus shrugged, "Are you jealous about something? Maybe my job? You've been acting strangely since you got back from Ireland. No, even before that. Since we were at my parents' house the day after we left school. Did I do something?

_Yes._ Regulus tried to push the thought from his mind.

"I don't know," Liam said as he slumped against the wall facing Regulus. "Maybe I'm just missing home. Something seems not right to me and I haven't a clue as to what it is. Maybe it _is_ the lack of a job. It might all get better now that Aislinn is here."

Regulus nodded, "Yeah, a little piece of home. And with her help, I bet you'll be able to find a job faster."

"It's worth a try," Liam admitted. "I'm sorry, mate. I didn't mean to take it out on you. I guess I've never had to worry about all this before. It's quite daunting, being an adult wizard."

"Yeah, it is," Regulus agreed. "People expect you to know what you're doing."

Liam laughed, "Now that's the Regulus I know and love. That sarcastic honesty is exactly why I keep you around."

Regulus grinned, but turned sombre again, "So are we going to try to fix this? I don't want to keep rowing with my best mate every day."

"Yes, we're going to fix this," Liam said. "I promise. I'll do the best I can to keep my worries from affecting our friendship."

"And I'll try not to badger you about it, too," Regulus added. "I'm sorry that I've been bothering you so much about it. I just want you to find something you want to do, rather than sitting here alone all day."

Liam gave him a half grin and Regulus questioned him, "What? What's going on?"

"Well, I was trying to tell you earlier, but I think I may have found a political group to do some work with. They're called the Blood Equality Society."

"Blood Equality Society?" Regulus raised his eyebrows.

Liam nodded, "Yeah, just listen. They're devoted to making sure everyone realizes that magical ability isn't determined by blood, to raising awareness in the wizarding community. They're non-violent, not like an opposition force to the Evil Eaters or whatever they're called."

"Death Eaters?"

"Yeah, that's it. I fancy Evil Eaters. Anyway, so they're not trying to fight Vol-, er, You-Know-Who, sorry, well they're not trying to fight him or anything. They just lobby to political leaders and try to talk reason into people. They think I'm a right interesting chap, mostly because I'm Muggleborn and a Slytherin," Liam paused from his explanation.

"Well, it sounds interesting," Regulus said hesitantly. "I, uh, I don't know how many friends you're going to make being a part of it, but it sounds like something you could help with. What did you tell them in reference to your background and house anyway?"

Liam shrugged, "I just said that I had a lot of ambition and a lot of things I want to do. I don't really know why the Sorting Hat put me in Slytherin. I mean, I am a Muggleborn, and Slytherin himself probably wouldn't have accepted me as a part of his house. But I think the hat is above all of these petty differences anyway. I think that it knew what my standpoint would be and knew that my personality was one that fit Slytherin more than any other house, so that's where it decided to put me. I've never really considered it before."

"Yeah, me neither," Regulus said. "I've always wondered a little, but it was never anything that I really took to heart until recently.

They were silent for a moment and then Liam said, "If I ever meet this Dark Lord, I'm going to have a few things to say to him."

_Good luck_, Regulus thought to himself.

"You think he's a lunatic, too, right?" Liam asked.

Regulus' stomach started to turn, "A lunatic? Yeah, sure."

"I'm serious. You've never talked about it before, but, I know your parents probably wouldn't argue with having a Death Eater son. Evil Eater, maybe," Liam said with a chuckle.

"But you'd have nothing to lose, and a lot to gain. I can see you wanting that recognition. Hell, if he weren't completely against people like me, I might even consider joining him, if he were fighting for a different cause. There's a lot to be said for a man who has the power to convince, and he sounds like he does."

He paused for a second.

"All I'm asking for is the truth."

"Do you think I'm an Evil Eater?" Regulus asked slowly, hoping the joke would throw him off.

"I'd like to believe that you aren't, and even if you were, that you would be honest about it. But I just want to hear it."

"Boys! I'm about to dish up! Come sit down," Aislinn's voice came down the hallway to where they were standing. Liam gave Regulus a pointed look.

Regulus took a deep breath, "No."

Liam nodded, "Okay, then. Dinner?"

Regulus nodded and followed Liam down the hallway, slowly losing his appetite.

* * *

Having Aislinn at the flat proved to be a positive thing for both Regulus and Liam. She had never been to London before, so Liam took a few days after she arrived to show her around the city and take her to Diagon Alley. Regulus arrived home from work each night ready to hear about her most recent experiences, and to enjoy her home cooking. He found that he did like to eat the meals she prepared, even though it was much simpler than what he was used to eating.

All in all, Regulus was enjoying having a woman in the house. He had never had any close female friends, and he was usually very awkward around girls, but Aislinn was different. He found that he could talk to her and she would listen, and that she made him feel accepted and welcome. Liam was visibly cheerier and more positive with his sister around, but he finally realized that he had to explain to her about the blood battles in the wizarding world, a conversation which he had been dreading, after they visited Diagon Alley and she heard whispers of a "You-Know-Who" at more than one shop. Aislinn took it all in silently, and then turned to Regulus.

"So this has all been going on for years?"

He nodded, "Centuries, really. Even before our school was founded. In fact, the reason there are house rivalries basically goes back to blood battles. Slytherin didn't quite fancy Muggleborns, so he never admitted them into his house originally. Then when all the founders were getting too old to teach anymore, they made the Sorting Hat."

"But the Sorting Hat has its own agenda," Liam added.

Aislinn raised an eyebrow, in a manner vaguely reminiscent of Liam's, "How can a hat have an agenda?"

"Ah, not your world, sis," Liam said teasingly. "You'd be surprised at how many seemingly inanimate objects can have agendas."

Regulus laughed at Aislinn's dumbfounded face, "What he means is that Gryffindor programmed the hat to have its own agenda. His agenda. Yeah, it generally sorts the first years into the houses that the original founders would have selected for them. But it has been known to place people in ways that you wouldn't expect."

"Like Liam?"

He nodded, "Like Liam. None of us are quite sure how he ended up where he did."

"It's because I have so much ambition, remember?" Liam joked. "You see, Linn, Slytherin was more than just a Pureblooded favouritist. He was also full of things that he wanted to accomplish, just like me. Only, what I want to accomplish is the exact opposite of what he wanted to accomplish. It's funny how that works."

Aislinn laughed, "Well aren't you just the little rebel. So are you launching a mass campaign around this You-Know-Who chap, or are you actually being safe about it? I don't think Mum would take kindly to the former."

"That's what I told him, too!"

"Prat," muttered Liam. "You're not supposed to take her side. It's not that dangerous. I mean, sure, he's mad and he'll stop at nothing to get his way, but come on. If nobody ever stood up to people in the wrong, nothing would ever get sorted out, now would it? Someone has to be the one to correct injustice, and that's what I'm passionate about. I know it's not going to make me popular, and that it will probably alienate me from everyone around me, but what of it? My best mate is still my friend, and I've got my family. I just have to be careful who I put my trust in, that's all."

"You could lose your life, Liam," Aislinn said quietly. "Is it worth all that?"

He lowered his gaze from hers, "I don't know. I'm ashamed to say it, but I really don't know if it's something I could die for. But if I can, I'll work for it, and we'll see where it takes me. I'll make good contacts for the future, anyway."

"Yes, in the political world here, but what if you decide you don't want to do that?" she protested. "What are you going to tell people when you come home? You're not going to be able to say that you work for anyone they know. How are you going to explain your involvement in this Blood Equality Society?"

Liam folded his arms and leaned back in his chair, "I don't know. I haven't thought that far. But this will work for now, I think. Besides, I'm going to get a paying job, too. In Diagon Alley."

"Where?"

He grinned, "I've already talked with the owner of Flourish and Blotts. I think it would be fun to work in a bookstore, and then I can get discounts on whatever book I want and be in a place where lots of people congregate. People talk about all sorts of things in bookstores. I start next Monday."

Aislinn laughed, "Well, I suppose you're doing something right. Is that what you want me to tell Mum and Dad, then? That you're working in a bookstore?"

He thought for a moment and then replied, "Yes, you can say that. And you can say that I'm working for a political action group which emphasizes humanitarian issues in the wizarding world."

"Don't you think you should tell your family about the crisis here?" Regulus asked.

Liam shook his head, "Not yet. It's not necessary yet. I'm hoping that it will all resolve itself in time. This is my battle, and there's really nothing they can do to help anyway."

Aislinn bit her lip and said, "I think they'd still like to know that you're in danger."

"Everyone is in danger, it's not just me," Liam replied. "You're in danger when you walk down the street, you don't know if a car is going to come by with someone pissed at the wheel. You can't escape from that. And the less they know, the less danger they'll be in. He's not going to go after them."

"You don't know that."

"He can't go after them if I get to him first," Liam said darkly. "That's the thing. He has to be stopped. A Pureblood pedigree doesn't give you the license to do whatever you want."

The three sat in uncomfortable silence for a moment. Then, Regulus spoke.

"Hey, I have to go. I have an appointment to keep. I'll see you lot later."

* * *

It had been quite a while since Regulus had visited Knockturn Alley. His parents, though heavily involved in the Dark Arts, had mostly tried to avoid being seen there as it would draw unnecessary attention from outsiders. Every once in a while he accompanied his father to various shops and the apothecary there to get illicit powders and supplies, but his mother never once set foot in the place to his knowledge. It was more than just the danger in going there - the alley had a reputation, and not a good one. Especially for a Pureblooded daughter descended from the Black line. She knew that her husband went occasionally and took their sons with him, but she had decided to never deign to that level.

He had Apparated to the Leaky Cauldron and walked the familiar pathways of Diagon Alley. He was surprised by how empty they were. He had not been to Diagon Alley after dusk in quite a while and he was used to the daily hustle of mothers keeping track of purchases and young children, witches and wizards meeting for lunch or a quick butterbeer before getting back to work, and Hogwarts students on holiday trying meet up with friends for a quick reprieve from home. That evening, however, it was nearly deserted. Windows were shuttered for the night and he could only see a few dozen witches and wizards roaming the streets, and maybe half a dozen children accompanying their parents.

_I suppose people really are worried to be alone_, he thought to himself as he hurried toward Knockturn Alley. He took a quick look about and seeing nobody looking in his direction, he turned the corner and walked into the alley. He had received a note with cramped, scrawled handwriting earlier that day requesting his presence at a pub at the end of the alley around eight o'clock. The note said that the sender would find him there. Regulus was a bit shaken by the note, but since he did not know if it had to do with his first task for Voldemort, he realized that he had to go just in case.

His stomach started turning flip-flops as he approached the door of the pub the note described. He took a deep breath and set himself in what he hoped was a posture of confidence, and then entered the pub. It was much darker than the Leaky Cauldron, but he had expected that. The floor was a bit sticky and he forced himself not to look down to figure out why. As his eyes began to adjust to the low light, he realized that he had stopped walking in the entryway and more than several eyes were now resting upon him, including the eyes of an approaching Severus Snape.

"Regulus, good to see you," Severus said in a low voice. "Follow me, there's a good table back here."

Regulus nodded and followed Severus to the back right of the pub where there was a small table and chairs up against a grimy wall. He took a furtive look around them, but the closest wizards were four tables away. Even so, Severus muttered his _Muffliato_ spell and Regulus knew that it would be safe to talk about anything from that point on.

"I haven't heard that spell in about two years," he said with a small grin.

Severus nodded, "Yes, well, it is generally rare for a spell that one designs for personal use to achieve widespread use in the wizarding community."

"A lot of people caught on to _Levicorpus_ at school," Regulus noted.

"That was not my intention," Severus asserted. "In any case, that is only partially what we are here to discuss."

Regulus raised an eyebrow, "We're here to discuss the spells you created at school?"

Severus shook his head, "No, we're here to discuss your involvement in the Department of Spells and Charms. I understand that Jackson awarded you with the job that I applied for last year."

"Well, uh, I didn't realize that you had applied for it until the Dark Lord…" he froze, wide-eyed. "I mean, I…"

"It's fine, Regulus, I know what the Dark Lord said. He is the one who sent me to check on your progress," Severus explained. "I hold no grudge against you, I'm just glad that you were able to succeed where I failed to serve the Dark Lord."

Regulus cleared his throat, "So, you really believe in all this."

"Of course. You don't?"

He shook his head, "Of course I do. It's just, sometimes people say things that make me doubt and see grey areas."

"Like your friend, Merric? Liam Merric?"

"Liam could be part of it," Regulus muttered. "I don't know what to do. I want to serve the Dark Lord to the best of my ability. I want to help him succeed and reform the problems within the Ministry, but I don't want to betray my best mate."

Severus sighed, "You're either in this or you aren't. You cannot be there halfway. Is Merric hindering your chances of success? Because you can't let him get in the way of what you have been ordered to do."

"You're not going to say anything to him, are you?"

Severus looked down at his hands, "I should. If there is something getting in the way of you doing your best for him, he should know. If he knew I knew and didn't tell him, we would both be punished, and so would Merric."

"But Liam thinks that blood battles are stupid. He doesn't treat the Dark Lord with contempt," Regulus protested.

"That's not what I've heard. I was told that he thinks that the Dark Lord is a mad man, a lunatic. That he is fighting against the cause. Regulus, if that is the case, then you need to either reform his mind or end that friendship."

Regulus snapped back, "Liam is my friend. I am not going to betray that."

"Why? Is your loyalty to him greater than your loyalty to the Dark Lord?"

"Is _that_ what he sent you here to find out? If I'm really on his side? If I'm a spy? If I'm going to betray everyone like my good-for-nothing brother?" Regulus spat. "Well you can tell him this, _Snape_, I'll do what he wants me to do. I'll get that information for him. But I will not hurt the only person who has ever trusted me completely."

Severus leaned back from the table in visible surprise, "No, that isn't what he sent me to find out. But I'm sure he'd be interested in that information." He sneered as he started to get up to leave, but Regulus spoke.

"Wait. What did he send you to find out?"

Severus looked down, a few strands of his hair falling in front of his face, "Are you ready to listen?"

"I've been told recently that that is something I need to work on," Regulus admitted. "Please, just don't put Liam in danger. I'll do anything to keep him safe."

Severus regarded him sceptically, "He sent me to see what you have been able to find out about Jackson, Black. Have you found out anything?"

Regulus crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair, "Nothing out of the ordinary. Jackson was in the Orion Force. He runs the department as if he still is. No one gets in or out unless they pass his scrutiny."

He paused, "That's why he didn't hire you. Apparently he thought your morals weren't high enough for his standards."

Severus shrugged, "That's neither here nor there. He is not the first person to doubt my personal code of ethics. Go on."

"They are working on several long term projects to develop large scale defensive spells, probably to fight the Dark Lord. But I have not been given personal access to extensive information about them."

"That's good to know," Severus said admirably. "Good work. I'll keep your secrets for now, Regulus, because we were friends at school. I'd like to remain friendly and be able to work together. Let me know if I can help you at all."

Regulus smiled for the first time that evening, "Thanks, Severus. I'm trying to do the best I can at the tasks that the Dark Lord has given me."

"That reminds me. The Dark Lord wants you to make some sketches."

"Sketches? You can hardly read my handwriting."

Severus laughed, "It's better than mine is. No, we need rough maps of Diagon Alley. Because of Sirius, and Liam, most people don't expect you to be a Death Eater. You can pass through the Alley as many times as you want, and no one will be the wiser."

"Liam is working here now," Regulus added eagerly. "That should help."

Severus nodded, "Let me know if you need help. Have a good night."

Regulus walked around Diagon Alley for another hour or so. He bought some large pieces of parchment at Flourish and Blotts and then made his way back to his flat. At around one in the morning he stretched his sore back and noticed that the candles he had lit a few hours previously were melted almost all the way down. But the preliminary sketches were almost complete. Surely the Dark Lord would reward him for his hard work.

* * *

_Author's Note: Beef in stout is a beef and potato stew found by my beta, Arnel, in a cookbook she owns called Favourite Irish Recipes. It's an authentic recipe, and she says that it's pretty good. Thanks, Arnel!_


	4. Chapter 4

**Heart of Gold**

**Chapter 4**

**By American Wings**

* * *

"All right, there, Regulus?" Jacks' cheery voice startled Regulus from his work. He had been concentrating very hard on a particular spell he discovered in the spell catalogue while trying to complete the task of identifying lesser known defensive spells to give to the department for use in their massive defensive project. Regulus had been able to glean very little information about the project thus far from his immediate superior, a sharp-tongued, middle-aged Scottish witch who seemed to dislike him from the start. He could not figure out if she just did not like new, younger employees to the department or if he had somehow managed to fall from her graces upon her first sighting of him, but he had decided that he did not care much. She was not the one that the Dark Lord was interested in; Jacks was.

He looked up and saw Jacks leaning casually against the wall opposite his desk. Regulus had not been completely honest with Severus when he was summoned to the Knockturn Alley meeting a fortnight ago. He had not had much opportunity to deal with Jacks personally at all. Most of what he knew about the workings of the department he had learned from short conversations with his co-workers, none of whom seemed especially keen on befriending the new wizard in their midst. This was fine with Regulus, as he preferred to have his quiet anyway and he did not enjoy small talk. But Jacks was a different case altogether, seeing as the Dark Lord wanted as much information about him as possible.

"Yes, sir. I am just examining the defensive spells in the catalogue to look for lesser known ones. Can I assist you in any way?" he inquired in the most polite voice he could manage.

Jacks shook his head, "No, I'm fine. I just wanted to see how you were getting along, that's all. Melinda mentioned that you're very quiet."

"Well, I try not to get in her way," Regulus replied lamely. "She seems not to fancy mischief much."

"She's a middle-aged witch with three young boys at home. Mischief is not in her vocabulary, or in the very least, will not be tolerated in her presence," Jacks said with a teasing edge. "But not to worry, I don't think that she thinks you will cause mischief. I think she is merely trying to evaluate your skills. Such an endeavour can take time, and it is generally best for all parties to learn to communicate with one another as soon as possible."

Regulus shifted in his chair nervously, "If you'd like me to talk more to the other witches and wizards you can just tell me."

Jacks sighed, "You have to learn that I'm here to help you. My goal is to help you integrate yourself into this department and contribute to it, not to catch you in your mistakes. It would probably be a good idea for you to start interacting with your co-workers more, but that is not today's argument. Are you happy here?"

"I'm sorry?"

"I know you want this job, and I know that you want to do well at it, but are you happy doing it?"

_Why does he keep pressing this point?_ This was not the first time Jacks had questioned Regulus since his initial interview for his position. He had a tendency to show up whenever Regulus was intensely involved in a task or else at a moment when he was unsure of what he was supposed to be doing next. Jacks' solutions often involved interacting with other members of the department who had at some point acquired the skills Regulus needed to complete his tasks, but how he expected Regulus to know which people to ask for help, Regulus had no idea. Was he supposed to just ask everyone until he found someone who knew what to do? Regulus usually had a hard time accepting help anyway, so the thought of having to walk from person to person asking the same exact question was daunting.

He decided that the best thing to do was to shrug and try to put him off of the question.

"I'm not used to having to ask for help, is all," replied Regulus, quite truthfully. "I've never had a hard time figuring things out on my own. Most of the time I tend to puzzle it out and trudge on until I finish."

Jacks nodded, "Yes, I've noticed that. Listen, my job as the supervisor of this department is to make sure that everything runs smoothly. I can tell that you have extraordinary skills even if I haven't fully had the chance to observe them yet. I trust that that will come in time, but for now I need to know that you have the ability to work with your peers, even if they are dozens of years older than you are."

"Some of them are," Regulus said with a laugh.

"Yes, some of them are," agreed Jacks. "But you're not a student anymore. You're an adult wizard, and you need to prove that to them. You won't be able to do that unless you apply yourself and try to fit into their world.

"I suppose it's like when a Muggleborn child enters Hogwarts – they have no idea what our world is like, but they have to fit into it regardless because they choose to be there, and their abilities show that they should be there. You have the skills to succeed as an adult wizard and you chose to use them in this department. You need to apply what you have, and you can begin to do that by getting to know the people around you."

Regulus pondered this point for a moment, and then saw an opportunity.

"How did you do that, sir, after you left Hogwarts?"

Jacks shifted his weight and looked down at the floor, "Well, I was in the Orion Force. It's not exactly a conventional job. I was part of a team, and I had to respect and work closely with everyone."

"But you still had to get to know the other people in your regiment, right?"

Jacks nodded, "Well, yes, I did, but they were all the same age as I was. It was a much different situation than your own."

Regulus cocked an eyebrow, "There isn't anything you learned that could possibly apply to my situation?"

"Well, no," admitted Jacks. "I suppose you could think of the department as its own regiment. Everyone does need to work together to make it run smoothly, though there is no comparable power structure. Melinda does not quite qualify as a drill master, I believe."

Regulus laughed, "No, not quite. I see how you could compare the department to a regiment, though people seem to work together a lot less than I would think members of the Orion Force do."

Jacks agreed, "It's true, and that is why the analogy is a stretch. But think about this - the good thing about a job in this type of environment is that you have an opportunity to meet witches and wizards older than yourself. You can get advice from anyone here, if you'll just take the chance to pursue it. Really, who is going to turn you down if you're asking for help?"

_I can think of a few people_, Regulus thought, but did not voice his convictions. "I suppose, we're not quite in serious competition here," he said aloud.

"No, you're not. It's not like at school," Jacks emphasized. "Everyone needs to work together in order to get the job done. If you're keeping to yourself, you are hurting every person here who could benefit from your knowledge, and you are depriving yourself of the knowledge that they can give you."

Regulus considered this and replied, "Yes, I understand. I will do my best to further integrate myself into the department. When did you start working here?"

"About twenty-five years ago, after my term of service ended."

Regulus did the mental math in his head, "So around 1954?"

Jacks nodded, "I think it was 1953, but close enough. I had contracted for ten years of service during the war against Grindelwald."

"Ten years? Wasn't he defeated in 1945?"

"Yes, but no one expected him to be," Jacks explained. "He was powerful, they were very dark times. People were afraid for their lives and scared for their children. Schools and shops closed. I can see society becoming like that again if You-Know-Who continues to gain more followers."

Regulus shifted uncomfortably, "He is certainly powerful, and persuasive."

"I joined up to keep my family safe mostly," added Jacks. "I had the qualifications and I was young, just out of school. It seemed like the golden opportunity to serve wizarding society and do some good. Anyway, you don't want to hear about my experiences. You just want me to leave so you can keep working, eh?"

Regulus shook his head, "Oh, no sir, I don't mind listening. Though, I do have work to do."

"I'll leave you to it then. Have a good day, and keep in mind what I suggested," Jacks said.

* * *

As the week went on, Regulus tried to follow Jacks' advice and get to know the other wizards in the department. Melinda Camden, his Scottish supervisor, had not willingly engaged in any sort of extended conversation with him by the end of the week, but she did tell him that she was pleased with his work when he left the office Friday afternoon. He had much more luck talking to the wizard who sat next to him who looked to be in his mid-thirties, Alec Kingston.

Alec had been a Hufflepuff at Hogwarts, and he warmed up to friendship with Regulus as soon as Regulus made an effort in return. He said that initially he had been unsure of what Regulus thought of him, and because he was so quiet, Regulus was easy to ignore. Alec offered to help him with any assignment that Jacks might give him, and Regulus was gracious for the support, though Alec had brushed off a question regarding his work within the department. Regulus decided that once those around him learned what he was capable of doing, they would embrace his talents and accept him into their inner circle.

Befriending Alec was a small accomplishment, however, and Regulus was happy with it for the week. He nodded to the pretty green-eyed woman who sat at the desk near the front door of the Department of Spells and Charms on his way out, and ascended the lift to the heat of the late-July London summer. He thought he knew the woman from somewhere, but he was still unable to place her in his mind. It did not much matter to him, though, because he was on his way to meet Aislinn by the entrance to the Leaky Cauldron so that they could visit Liam at work.

He had been working there for two weeks and Aislinn was anxious to see how he was getting along. She was uneasy about walking in Diagon Alley by herself because of the perceived dangers of the wizarding world, so she had had to wait for a day when Regulus was available to walk with her. She was planning to return to Ireland at the end of the following week, the first week of August, in order to rearrange her classroom and prepare for her next class of young students. Aislinn taught grammar school, a job which Regulus felt suited her quite well. Classes were due to start the first week of September, just as at Hogwarts, and she had to return home to attend meetings with new teachers and the parents of her new students.

He saw her looking in the window of a nearby stationery shop as he walked down the Muggle street on which the Leaky Cauldron was located. She was holding a couple small purchases, as well as a loaf of bread that he expected was probably on their dinner menu for the night. Aislinn had been teaching Liam and Regulus how to cook so that they would not starve to death in her absence, according to her. Liam joked that maybe she should quit the grammar school and become a full-time chef for helpless young men trying to learn the ways of the world. She hadn't thought it was very funny.

"Oy! Aislinn! Over here!" called Regulus as he approached her on the street.

She turned around quickly. "Good afternoon, Regulus. How was your day? Have you gotten to know that Alec chap any better?" she asked brightly.

He shrugged his shoulders, "A bit I suppose. We mostly talk about work, nothing really heavy. He's a decent fellow."

"Well, at least you're trying," she replied. "It's better than sitting silently all day."

He nodded an agreement and gestured toward the pub, "Shall we? Liam is probably getting restless." Aislinn laughed and turned to cross the street toward where she knew the Leaky Cauldron was, even if she couldn't see it. He smiled at her exuberance and followed closely behind her. The pub became visible as they grew closer to it and he reached out to hold open the door for her. She muttered a quiet thank you and walked inside, stopping a few feet past the doorway to wait for him. The bartender gave them a slight nod and then turned back to the glasses he was washing at the sink. Regulus waited for his eyes to adjust to the low light and then placed a hand lightly on Aislinn's back to steer her toward the back of the pub.

"This way, remember?"

She nodded and followed him, ignoring the stares of a few witches whispering at a nearby table. The problem with being the heir of the Black family fortune was that it made Regulus well-known in the wizarding community, especially after Sirius' disownment. Most wizards could recognize him even if they could not place his name because of his resemblance to his father, and his trademark dark hair. Seeing him walking around Diagon Alley with a young, pretty woman in proper Muggle clothing was sure to cause some people to gossip about him, even if their words had no grounds. Still, he hoped that his mother did not get wind of what he imagined people might be saying. It was unlikely that she would hear about it, but there was always the possibility.

They walked through the entrance to Diagon Alley without any trouble and walked silently together past the colourful shops and bustling crowds toward Flourish and Blotts. A bell on the door chimed brightly as they walked inside and Regulus scanned the room casually looking for Liam. Aislinn saw him first, though, and muttered softly to Regulus as she began to walk in his direction.

"He's back there, behind that shelf. Come on." He followed her past the advertisements for new spell books and the latest edition of the _Daily Prophet_, past stacks of parchment with lists of suggested school supplies and book lists for Hogwarts students, even though he knew that the official lists had not yet been released, and past a large pile of paperback fiction about the adventures of a warlock in the twelfth century, battling the Medieval powers to save the entire wizarding community from exile and torture. They found Liam in the next aisle of books alphabetizing a particular line of novels for witches.

Aislinn giggled, "So this is what they have you doing all day? Organizing the romance novels?"

Liam jumped and whipped around, "Oh, hello, sis. Well, not all day. Sometimes I even get to read them."

Aislinn rolled her eyes, "Oh, just wait until I tell Mother that her baby boy is reading smut." She gave Liam a pointed look, and he laughed.

"Well, all right, this isn't exactly what I do all the time, it just happens to be my assignment for today. Really brilliant place for political networking, eh? Novels for witches.

"I suppose if you're looking to find a candidate who is interested in romance, it could just be your ticket into his good graces," Liam noted. "Or maybe I'm just doing what my supervisor told me to do and I really would rather be working in another part of the store altogether."

Aislinn grinned, "That could be it, too. What do you think, Regulus?"

Regulus folded his arms, "I think Liam is becoming too familiar with this section of the book store. He needs to spend some time over in the sport section."

Liam waved a book in front of his face, "Just remember, the next time I'm out with a nice girl, I'll have something to talk about with her that she might find interesting."

"Ouch!" Regulus said with a laugh. "That one cut me deeply, mate."

Liam changed the subject, "So what do you lot want to see in here?"

Aislinn looked about herself, "Nothing in particular, I just wanted to see where you worked. Do you mind if I take a look around?"

"Not at all. Just remember the currency differences if you want to buy anything. I can give you some of our money if you've already spent what I gave you," Liam reminded her.

"No problem, I still have some, "Aislinn assured him. "I'll find you when I'm ready to leave." She set off toward a wall that advertised magical cookbooks.

"How was your day, mate?" Liam asked.

Regulus shrugged, "Not particularly exciting. I talked with Alec a bit more. He's a decent chap, though it is hard to relate to someone who is fifteen years older than you are."

"Yeah, I sympathize," Liam said. "My manager is probably seventy years old, but he's still going strong."

Regulus smiled, "Well, witches and wizards do tend to live longer."

Liam nodded, "Yeah, I know. Are you just going to wait here for Aislinn to be done, or do you have errands that you need to run?"

Regulus looked at his feet briefly, then back up at Liam's eyes, "I do have someone that I'm supposed to meet. I have to give them some things that I made - it's for work, you see."

Liam did not answer right away, but then he said, "I see. I can keep an eye on Aislinn while you do that, just to make sure she doesn't get herself into any trouble. When are you supposed to meet this co-worker?"

Regulus checked his pocket watch, "Ten minutes or so. It is a bit of a walk."

"Go on, then," Liam said. "We'll be fine here."

Regulus said his thanks and then went to tell Aislinn that he was meeting a co-worker and would be back soon. He exited the shop and started to walk down the street toward Knockturn Alley as casually as he could. He did not want it to appear like he was rushing to get somewhere. The sketches that Severus had asked him to make for the Dark Lord were tucked safely into his pocket, minimized in size so that he could carry them more easily and without suspicion. He had no idea what the Dark Lord wanted sketches of Diagon Alley for, but he kept reminding himself that it did not matter. He was serving, not leading. Perhaps the Dark Lord only wanted them to see how things were situated and to compare them to his own memories. He had to stay in hiding most of the time, so maybe he just wanted to know what shops were still there and if there were any new ones.

However, when Regulus thought about it realistically, he knew that that probably was not the case. But he did not want to think about any other possibilities.

Severus was waiting outside the pub in a dark corner. Regulus saw the sallow skin contrasted with the shadows before he realized that the man in the corner was his mate from school.

"The black robes don't do anything for you," he noted as he approached.

Severus just looked at him, "Does it look like that matters to me?"

Regulus shook his head, "No, but I thought you might like to know, mate-to-mate. You might be more popular with the girls if you added some colour to your wardrobe."

"Do you have the sketches?" Severus asked in a bored tone of voice.

"Uh, yeah," Regulus said as he pulled them out of his pocket. "_Engorgio_," he muttered, and the rolled parchment was restored to its original dimensions. He handed them to Severus, who unrolled them and examined each one closely. Regulus shifted his weight and stifled a yawn while he waited. Finally, Severus looked up, seemingly satisfied.

"Good work, Regulus. The Dark Lord will be pleased," Severus said.

"Glad to hear it," Regulus replied. "I have a question for you."

"Yes?"

"Did you mention our conversation to the Dark Lord?"

Severus grunted and folded his arms, "We shouldn't be talking about this out here."

"Please, just tell me."

He looked very nervous, "You don't understand. He could have people watching us."

"Why would he do that?" Regulus felt his stomach start turning.

Severus looked annoyed, "Because he doesn't want us to rely on one another or trust one another. Don't you see? That's why we aren't told who the others are. He doesn't want us to know. He wants us to devote ourselves to him and trust that he is working for our common good. I wasn't even there the night that you pledged your loyalty."

"You weren't?"

He shook his head, "No, I wasn't. I did not know that you were one of us until the Dark Lord asked me to forward information to you. That's why we have to be careful. We have no idea who else on the street may be one of us, or may be in opposition to us."

Regulus felt beads of sweat forming on his palms, "What do you mean?"

"A group has been formed whose mission is to oppose the Dark Lord. We don't know yet what they are calling themselves, but there are rumours that certain significant people have joined it, including your brother."

"Former brother."

Severus rolled his eyes, "Either way. Sirius is supposedly a member, as are the Longbottoms, Dumbledore, and James and Lily Potter."

"They got married?"

"Yes, a little over a year ago. I'm surprised that you did not know that," Severus said.

"Honestly, I have heard nothing of Sirius and his friends, except for Pettigrew, since he left. It is never discussed in our house."

"Yes, I suppose it wouldn't be," conceded Severus. "The fact of the matter is that we have reason to believe that they have joined together in league against the Dark Lord."

"What is this group called?" asked Regulus.

Severus shook his head, "We have not been able to discover its name or even who leads it, though we can closely guess at that point."

Regulus nodded, "Yes, I'm sure dear old Albus has a hand to play."

"I would be surprised if he didn't," said Severus with a hiss. "But we need to think of a way to infiltrate their ranks."

"What about Pettigrew?"

"No, he's too obvious. The Dark Lord would rather that we found another way."

Regulus felt his heart pounding, "You can't mean me. Sirius hates me. There is no way they would believe..."

"Your best mate is Liam Merric, is he not?" Severus broke in.

"Wha-, well, yes, but no! I am not going to spy on my best mate! You told me that you wouldn't say anything!" Regulus felt his cheeks grow hot and his pulse begin to race.

Severus folded his arms and looked at him crossly, "I didn't say anything. I keep my word, and you should learn to think better about what you promise to do before you promise to do it. You have pledged your loyalty, and you can't back out now. The Dark Lord is fighting for a good cause, to fix the flawed thinking of the wizarding community. You don't want the Ministry to keep ruling with its inconsistent bureaucracy, do you? Things are wrong here, and they must be made right. Don't you understand? He is trying to fix things to the way they are supposed to be, to make things better for all of us."

Regulus felt guilty, "I know. I just don't want Liam to get hurt, that's all."

"Fighting for a cause requires the sacrifice of your time and energy, and more. Are you fully committed to this cause?"

"Yes, I think. I don't know." He stared at the ground. "I didn't join this to kill people. I joined up because I thought I would be able to become better at magic, to rise to the top and create something, to be of worth."

"You are of worth," Severus said. "Because the Dark Lord says you are of worth. Do you understand this? You must do what he asks you to do. As of now, he is not asking you to hurt Liam or anyone else. All he asks is that you follow him and trust that he knows best. He wants us all to be in secret, even to one another, and he especially does not want the Ministry knowing who we are."

Regulus studied Severus carefully, "You seem to know a lot about how the Dark Lord works for only having served him for a year."

Severus stood up a little straighter, "He needs me. He tells me things. He would tell you things, too, Regulus, if you would only yield yourself to him. He can teach you how to manipulate magic like you have never known before."

Regulus felt a shudder pass through his body, "I believe that, I do. I am trying my best, really, I am."

"I know, and so does the Dark Lord," Severus said quietly. "He will be pleased with these sketches, as I said before. I must go now to deliver them. If I were you, I would not mention this to anyone."

Regulus nodded, "Of course. Good day, Severus."

"Good day." Severus Disapparated. Regulus wiped beads of sweat from his brow as he checked his pocket watch, hands shaking.

_ Slow down, relax, you're fine._

Six o'clock. Aislinn would surely be done in Flourish and Blotts by now and ready to head home. He started walking back toward the bookstore, taking long strides and passing nimbly through the crowds of people, taking care not to bump into anyone and trying not to upset their purchases. He found Liam and Aislinn talking in front of the store and waved a hello as he walked up to them.

"Regulus, perfect timing," Liam said as he clapped him on the shoulder. "We were just getting ready to walk out and back to the flat. How did the meeting go? You look a little pale."

Regulus forced himself to smile, "Oh, it was fine. I think the heat is just getting to me a bit. Shall we?"

Liam did not quite look convinced, but nodded and the three of them set off toward the Leaky Cauldron barrier.

* * *

The next few days passed quickly and Regulus almost forgot about the sketches he had given to Severus. Things at work were going well, and he was doing his best to get to know others in the department and to keep himself in Jacks' good graces. It was toward the end of the day on Wednesday that he received the news.

"Regulus! You'll never believe what just happened!" Alec said breathlessly.

Regulus whipped around, "What's going on?"

"An attack. On Diagon Alley."

He felt his heart start pounding harder and his throat go dry, "D-Diagon Alley? Are you sure?"

Alec gave him a look of annoyance, "Of course I'm sure. How would I botch that up?"

"Where?"

"Down by the entrance to Knockturn Alley. They aren't saying who did it, but I think it's quite obvious. You-Know-Who and his followers," Alec's eyes narrowed.

"The Death Eaters."

Regulus gulped, "You're sure?"

"They've already dispatched Aurors to the scene of the crime, but they're long gone by now. They blew up a shop and killed a few shoppers, injured quite a lot more than that, and a couple Muggles as well," Alec explained. "You know, family of witches and wizards. Obviously they would not have been able to get in any other way."

"Obviously," Regulus agreed. "Have any names been released? My best mate works in Diagon Alley, you see, Liam. Liam Merric."

Alec thought for a moment, "I didn't see a Liam Merric on the list, but I think I remember seeing the name Merric. Maybe, Ashley? Anna?"

"Aislinn?" Regulus' voice cracked.

Alec nodded and snapped his fingers, "Yeah! That's right. I thought the name was a bit odd. You all right, there, mate?"

Regulus' hands were shaking and he struggled to get out the words, "She isn't, I mean, she's not dead, is she?"

The older man shook his head, "No, not dead. I'm pretty sure she was on the list of people taken to St. Mungo's. Is she your mate's sister?"

Regulus nodded, unable to respond verbally. Alec patted his shoulder.

"Don't worry, mate. I'm sure she's fine. Here, why don't you send an owl to Liam and we'll get it all sorted out."

_There's no way I can get this all sorted out,_ he thought. _Not now, not anymore._

His owl returned fifteen minutes later with a busily scrawled note from Liam.

_ Regulus,_

_ Aislinn is alive, but it's not good. She was near the building that they blew up. Some of the shrapnel and glass became embedded in her skin and she has minor cuts and bruises. A beam from one of the shops crushed one of her legs, and they were able to heal her quite well, but not well enough. She'll limp for the rest of her life. Come as quickly as you can. She's in room 453 and I'll be there with her._

_ Liam_

Regulus looked at Alec, "She's all right, mostly. She was hurt pretty badly, though. She'll likely limp for the rest of her life."

"Sorry, mate," Alec said. "Do you need some company?"

Regulus shook his head, "No, I'm going to go down to St. Mungo's and sit with Liam. I'll see you later this week, hopefully."

Room 453 took more time to find than Regulus had anticipated. The front lobby of the hospital was so crowded with people trying to find out if their friend or family member was dead or alive that he easily slipped into a side stairwell and made his way up to the fourth floor without much interruption, though it would have been much faster to take a lift. He approached the door and halted abruptly to catch his breath and compose himself before opening the door to – what?

What would she look like? Would she be asleep or awake? Would there be visible signs of her pain? How extensive were her injuries? Liam's note had been so hastily written and so he hadn't included the gritty details. What if she was so disfigured that she was unrecognizable? What if –

"Do you need any assistance, dear?" inquired a portly witch pushing a medicine trolley through the hallway. Her heavily made-up eyes looked at Regulus over the tops of her half-rimmed glasses and seemed to scan his thin presence with great interest.

"Uh, no, ma'am," he replied quickly. "No, I've found the room I was looking for. Thanks for asking."

"No trouble at all, dear, no trouble at all," she muttered as she continued down the hallway. He sighed and eyed the door again. There was no excuse; he would have to go in.

He tapped once, then again, and when there was no response, he tried a third time. Finally, he rapped on the door with a little more force and he heard bustling movement behind the wooden door, and then a lock clicking out of place. The door opened to reveal a dishevelled Liam – hair mussed, clothes wrinkled, with dark circles under his eyes and a paler complexion than usual.

"Sorry, mate," he said with a yawn. "I was taking a bit of a rest. I didn't get much sleep last night anyway so I was planning on going home this afternoon for a bit before going to work with the Blood Equality Society tonight. Well, that likely will not be happening."

He held the door open to reveal a small, dimly lit and sparsely furnished room. Aislinn lay sleeping in a bed at the far end of the room, about ten feet away from the door. Liam appeared to have been sleeping in a fluffy chair propped up against a table along the centre wall, as the chair seemed to have been upset by his sudden awakening. One midnight blue cushion lay on the floor, while the other sat at an odd diagonal to the seat of the chair.

"Sorry to have woken you," Regulus said quietly as Liam shut the door gently behind him.

Liam shook his head, "It's no problem. I was using that pillow for a headrest against the wall. I wasn't planning on taking a long nap anyway, just in case Aislinn woke up."

"How is she?" Regulus asked hesitantly, eying the sleeping figure.

"Better than expected, actually," Liam replied. "And she looks even better than she actually is. Most of her injuries were either internal or sustained in parts of her body that are normally covered up. For example, she has a couple scrapes on her face, but those were healed without any difficulty whatsoever. The hard part for the Healers was her legs."

"But shouldn't they just be able to repair muscle and bone damage?" Regulus asked.

Liam nodded, "Yeah, they should be. But apparently they can't. It has something to do with the spell the Death Eaters used to blow up the building. It isn't a spell that they are used to working with, or at least working with the effects of. It's an unknown spell that none of them can figure out, meaning, it's a spell that they must have made up themselves."

Regulus felt his palms go sweaty, "You mean, you think that they have spell creators operating on the inside?"

"That's what the Healers were whispering about, not me," Liam cautioned. "But I can't see a reason why there wouldn't be. I mean, look what he's done! He's done things on a small scale before, but never anything like this. An attack on Diagon Alley? It's lunacy. He could have risked the entire Muggle world finding out about us."

Regulus nodded, "I know, it must have been a huge operation. But how do we know it was him? I mean, couldn't it be someone trying to masquerade as him?"

Liam raised an eyebrow, "And why would someone do that?"

"I don't know," Regulus replied. "Maybe because they don't like what he has to say so they're trying to frame him."

"You don't need to frame You-Know-Who in order to get people to fear him," retorted Liam. "People have been afraid of him for a while now. They're afraid to go out at night because people have been disappearing, and they're refreshing their knowledge of defensive spells as well. No, he planned this. I'm sure of it."

"Do you, do you think that the Ministry will strike back?"

"I sure hope so. But even if they don't do anything, I will."

Seeing the fire in Liam's eyes made Regulus' heart pound, "Liam, you can't take him on alone, and the Blood Equality Society isn't interested in fighting back."

"Not yet," he agreed. "But I've been rehearsing a speech in my head. They'll see my point of view, one way or another. I'm going to pitch the idea at the meeting tonight."

Aislinn stirred and mumbled in her sleep. Liam turned and looked at her briefly, then turned back to Regulus.

"I hope she wakes up soon."

Regulus gave him a sympathetic smile, "Me too, mate. I'm sure she will soon. Do you want me to stay with her tonight while you're at the meeting?"

"That would be a great help," Liam said with relief. "I don't want her to be alone when she wakes up. I actually need to get going right now so that I can look presentable. Do you need to go back to work?"

"No, I'm done for the day, and I can do some work here. It's not a problem," Regulus assured him. "Go on, then. We'll be fine here."

Liam nodded and glanced at his sister one more time before he left, closing the door softly behind him. Regulus stared at the door for a few moments and then moved the chair Liam had been sitting in closer to the bed so that he could get a better look at Aislinn. The setting sun cast an orange glow around her through a window above her bed, making her skin look very pale and her blonde hair appear like strands of gold thread spread across the pillow.

He could not help but think that her injuries might be his fault. He had made the maps of Diagon Alley and given them to the Dark Lord without question, or at least, no major questioning. He never asked what they were planning to do with them, and never even considered that Lord Voldemort would plan something so large, so atrocious. What was the point? People were already scared enough and this would only heighten security. No one in the Ministry would ever listen to their ideals now; the only logical result to the whole thing was increased pressure against Lord Voldemort and the Death Eaters, and a larger number of Aurors would be dispatched to discover their identities.

_What am I doing?_

This was more than just a way to network with powerful witches and wizards, and more than just something to do to please his father. This was turning into an all out war with casualties, and the casualties included people he cared about. Looking down at Aislinn, he remembered her comments to Liam.

_"You could die, you know. Is it worth all that?"_

Was it worth all that? Was getting a leg in worth hurting his best mate and his family?

_If the Dark Lord wins, well…_

That was it. It all came down to whether or not he thought the Dark Lord would be successful in his campaign, and so far, he seemed to be. He was gathering more followers daily, and this attack on Diagon Alley was unforeseen even by his own followers. He was smart, and he had spies everywhere. He was a Legilimens, and Regulus already owed him his allegiance.

He looked back down at Aislinn, _Maybe if he wins, and I'm faithful, his __**most**__ faithful, I can convince him not to hurt them._

Surely the Dark Lord would not hurt the only real family his most devoted follower had, would he? If Regulus could manage to do all of his assignments perfectly then the Dark Lord would reward him, and he could request that Liam and Aislinn, and the rest of the Merric family, be left alone. That was worth fighting for, right?

Aislinn groaned in her sleep as she attempted to move her cramped legs.

_Yes, it's worth fighting for._ Liam did not like the Ministry any more than Regulus did. Lord Voldemort was just another way to overthrow the corrupt government. If he had enough followers who were moderate, maybe they could manage to alter his beliefs and change his plans. The wizarding community would agree with a medium course of action, and they would come to accept the Dark Lord as their new leader. What could go wrong?

_Everything._

Aislinn still had not awakened by the time Liam returned around midnight. Regulus had crossed his arms on the edge of her mattress to rest his eyes for a moment a few hours earlier, and had promptly fallen asleep. Liam gently shook him awake and gestured toward the hallway. The bright lights dazzled Regulus' eyes and he took a second to let them adjust before questioning his mate.

"Well? What happened?"

Liam shrugged, "They're still advocating a plan of non-violence. They 'don't see the value in responding to the aggressor with aggression.' Fools! They can't understand that it's only going to get worse."

"You don't know that, Liam," Regulus protested.

"Yes, I do!" Liam practically shouted. "You Brits have no idea what it's like to grow up in a war-torn place. I have, I've seen bloodshed with my own eyes. Maybe not in County Clare, but Ireland has experienced its fair share of rivalries based on petty differences. Religion for us, family blood for you, but the cause doesn't matter. Everyone says that it will all resolve itself, and that we should just go on with our lives.

"I can't do that. I can't just sit back and let other people try to solve problems that affect me and my family. I have to do something. Will you help me?"

"Wh-what?"

Liam looked Regulus in the eye, "I have a meeting with the head of the Blood Equality Society next Monday morning. I'm taking Aislinn back to Ireland as soon as she is able to travel through Side-Along Apparition. The Healers said that it will only be a few days, and they gave me the name of a Healer in County Clare that I can have check up on her from time to time to make sure that her injuries do not get worse. I have to go home anyway to explain the situation to my family. It's about time that they know what is going on."

"So, when will you have time to prepare for this meeting?" Regulus asked, his voice shaky.

"I already know what I'm going to say," Liam assured him. "I just need you to come for support. You know people who are rumoured to be Death Eaters, like your cousin and her husband, Bellatrix and Rodolphus? I've heard the name Severus Snape mentioned as well, and Lucius Malfoy. They're all connected to you through family and social ties, so you have a better idea than I do about what they may be up to. You need to tell this guy that we have to fight back."

"I have to work," Regulus protested. "I'm trying to earn a living, not fight a war."

"We're all going to have to fight in this war at some point or another, mate. It's not going away, no matter how much you want it to." Liam stared at him for a minute, then said, "Think about it. You might be able to save someone's life."

He gestured toward the room, "Is she doing all right?"

Regulus, startled by the subject change, stammered through his answer, "Uh, yeah, well, she hasn't woken up yet. I've been sitting by her the whole time, of course. She seems to be in pain every once in a while."

Liam looked concerned, "The potions must be wearing off. I'll grab a nurse to administer more. You should go home, you look awful."

"Thanks for letting me know," Regulus said with a small laugh.

"Well, I will never tire of giving you my personal opinion," Liam said jokingly, but then turned serious again. "Go on home and get some sleep. We'll be fine here."

Regulus nodded and said goodnight before Apparating back to their flat. He trudged up the stairs, his foot lagging on each step. What was he supposed to do? Be a double agent? There was no profit in promoting two sides of an issue, as his father had often told him. Invariably, one side would discover that you were not being truthful to their cause and fire you. Soon after, the other side would discover the same thing and then you would lose both of your opportunities. He could not both serve Lord Voldemort and help Liam fight against him.

* * *

He was still examining these options on Friday afternoon as he sat at his desk, staring at his set of three different coloured inks for use in various types of documentation. Aislinn and Liam were scheduled to return to Ireland that afternoon after she passed her final health check. She had been responding to treatment much better than they expected her to upon her admittance to St. Mungo's, and she was expected to make a good, if not full, recovery. Liam had continued to pester Regulus about his role in fighting the Dark Lord to the point that Regulus thought Liam might go off his rocker if Regulus said no.

Sighing, he dipped his quill into the blue ink and placed it gingerly on the parchment, splotching the beginning of Liam's name.

_Liam,_

_ I'll do it. Have a safe trip home._

_ Regulus_

He did not feel like going home after work. The flat was empty, and he did not feel particularly safe at that moment in time. He was going to betray the Dark Lord. _Betray._ That decision alone bordered on being suicidal. So he decided to take a walk and order his thoughts.

Not that that was a particularly safe option, either. To be out in the open made you more vulnerable to attack, especially by an unknown assailant, and especially when one walked around the scene of a recent crime. Regulus was not sure why he decided that Diagon Alley would be the best place to order his thoughts, but it was where he found himself that evening. Now, more than ever, the streets were nearly completely deserted and nearly every shop had signs informing consumers that they would be closing earlier in the day "due to recent events."

The area around the shop that had been blown up by the Death Eaters had been blocked off to traffic while the Aurors searched for any clues as to who may have been there. In true form, no Death Eater left any traces of his presence that could be used to determine his identity. Regulus had not been summoned to the Dark Lord, nor had he talked to Severus, Rodolphus, or Bellatrix, so he could not be sure as to who had been involved in the attack and who had not.

He halted on the edge of the magical barrier to survey the wreckage. The spell had caused the entire shop to collapse into itself and then blow out onto the street. It had actually caused two actions, rather than just one, a fact that was baffling to the Aurors attempting to help the Healers discover the way to reverse the damage, rather than just halt it. Even though he had no idea about the Dark Lord's spell creators, Regulus still felt responsible somehow for what had happened. Even though anyone could have made a map of Diagon Alley for Lord Voldemort, Regulus still felt that it was he who was responsible for Aislinn's injuries.

"It's not your fault, you know," said a soft voice behind him. He turned around to see the dark silhouette of Severus leaning against a nearby wall.

"Bugger off," Regulus snarled.

Severus slunk toward him, "Testy, are we? I suppose it has been a long week for you."

He laughed shortly, "You suppose it's been a long week for me? You _suppose_? I've been up half of the nights this week trying to help my best mate figure out what's wrong with his sister, and not being able to do anything about it, all the while knowing that I am, if minimally, responsible for her injuries."

"All right, minimally, but that's not totally," Severus conceded as he walked closer.

"That's not the half of it," Regulus continued. "Now my best mate has to take her home and explain to their family that all is not as they thought it was in our world. He has to tell them that every day when he leaves our flat he's in danger of torture, kidnapping, and death just because of his birth. He has to tell them that he has been lying for the past seven years."

"Again, not your fault," Severus said with a sigh. "He's the one who decided to keep it all to himself."

"And now he's going to put himself in more danger."

Severus laughed, "Well, he was always going to do that."

"I'm through. That's it. I'm gone."

The two men studied each other, Regulus' back to the wreckage. They were standing just feet apart now, close enough that Regulus could smell the scent of alcohol on Severus' breath. Time seemed to stand still as Severus looked him over, studying his features and then looking him straight in the eye.

"That's not really what you want to do."

Regulus shook his head, "Oh, trust me, it is. I want to end this madness and get on with my life. This will all just be a bad nightmare."

"No, really, Regulus. That's not really what you want," Severus continued. "You want power and glory; you just don't want the consequences. I'm sorry to be the one to have to tell you this, but there are consequences to everything that you do, good and bad. So you made maps of Diagon Alley for the Dark Lord and it just happened to be the place that he was going to attack soon afterwards. So what? You're earning his trust, little by little."

"I thought I wanted that, and now I'm not sure," Regulus hissed.

Severus folded his arms, "You want to keep Liam and his family safe, but you can't do that. They have to choose to do that. You can't control the fate of anyone, no matter what you say. Life is too variable, and you never know where people are going to be. You couldn't control the fact that Aislinn was here at this very spot when they came out and set off that spell, any more than you are able to control what the weather is going to be like tomorrow. So what, leave it and move on. We have work to do."

"Is that what you call this? Work? I call it hurting people, shedding innocent blood," Regulus said, and turned to leave. "I don't have to listen to this. I'm going home."

"And he'll know of your response before you even get there. I'll make sure of that."

"Bullocks, Snape!" Regulus exploded. "Why are you doing this?"

"Because you made a promise, a deal, and you can't back out of it," Severus said. "And I don't call shedding blood 'work,' I call it an unfortunate side effect of our work. Our work is to change society for the better and to show them that our government is corrupt and must be stopped. Don't you agree?"

Regulus snapped back irritably, "Of course I do! But why do all this? Why can't we just appeal to them like normal people? Why would they want to follow a leader who kills to get what he wants?"

"This was for effect, not to kill anyone. They got too close," Severus said.

"Oh, sure, they never meant to kill the owner of that shop," Regulus replied sarcastically.

Severus cocked his eyebrow, "Actually, according to your blueprints, that shop was deserted. No one was in it."

"What? I don't remember drawing anything about a deserted shop."

Severus reached into his robes, "Look right here." He pointed to a part of the map since circled in red. "Deserted." Regulus saw the word briefly, but did not get a close look at it because Severus rolled the map back into a scroll, and then handed it to Regulus.

"Here, we used it, and it is of no more use to us."

"You're just going to give it back to me?" Regulus was taken aback.

Severus shrugged, "Well, we'd like you to have a blueprint just in case the Dark Lord wants you to draw more maps."

"But I don't want to do this anymore," Regulus insisted.

"How about I give you the weekend to figure it out, hmm? We'll meet after work on Monday for a drink and we can talk it over then."

"You might as well tell him my answer now," Regulus said. "It isn't going to change."

Severus looked at the sky for a moment and then looked back at Regulus again, "We'll see. I'll leave you to your wallowing for now. Have a good evening."

He Disapparated, leaving Regulus feeling as confused as ever.

* * *

Sunday evening came quicker than he expected it to, and he spent most of it in the Leaky Cauldron. One pint of Butterbeer turned into two, then three. Then the bartender suggested something a little stronger, and he had his first legal taste of Ogden's Old Firewhiskey. He was seeing double by nine o'clock, and decided that it was about time to stumble back to the flat.

He was no nearer to figuring out what he was going to do. He knew that he had to be sharp for the meeting the next morning, but at that moment in time he didn't care. He just wanted to forget about it all and wallow some more, as Severus had said.

Severus. He was no closer to figuring out what he was going to say to him the next afternoon. He wanted the recognition, but not the sacrifice. He wanted the power, but he did not want to do the things that he was expected to do to get there. He wanted the contacts, but he wanted his best mate more.

Regulus was able to drag himself home easier than he expected to in his half-coherent state, though once he reached the flat he managed to run into every piece of furniture in the house before making it to his room, where he collapsed on the bed and groaned as he thought about the awful hangover he was going to have the next morning.

He realized that he had accidentally sat on the blueprints of Diagon Alley and, not wanting to wrinkle them any more than he already had, he reached under his body to grab them and placed them face up on his desk. He had glanced at them a bit over the weekend, but since he was planning on leaving the service of the Dark Lord they did not much matter to him anymore. He thought it might be fun to take them out in the country and set them aflame, and hopefully burn away the memories as well.

His last thought before falling into slumber was a happy one, about how much he would enjoy not keeping secrets from Liam anymore and being able to be a free man once again. The last thing he expected was to wake up the next morning to find Liam standing above his desk, holding the map he had made and staring at him with a look of intense loathing.

* * *

_Author's Note: Thanks bunches, again, to Arnel for her excellent beta skills, and also to my father, Cygnus, for beta-ing en route to Amsterdam. On a personal note, this chapter is devoted to Rachel and the beach crew._


	5. Chapter 5

**Heart of Gold**

**Chapter 5**

**By American Wings**

* * *

"You...you…is this _yours_?" Liam sputtered and his entire face turned red as he struggled to get the words out.

Regulus swallowed, "Yes."

"Traitor," he growled through clenched teeth.

"No, I can explain!" Regulus yelped as he leapt from the bed. "I didn't know what they were going to do with it, I didn't mean for Aislinn to get hurt. They just told me to draw a map so I did, and, please, you have to listen."

"No, no I don't," Liam replied. "I don't have to listen to any of your rubbish explanations. I have a meeting to catch. Sober up while I'm gone. I'd like to have my _best mate_ coherent when I beat him into a pulp."

Liam crumpled up the map and hurled it at Regulus, who dodged to the left just in time to avoid it hitting his head. He turned on his heel and fled from the room, leaving Regulus stumbling behind him.

"Liam, wait! Let me just explain!"

But Liam had Apparated out of the flat before Regulus had a chance to catch up with him. He swore bitterly and kicked the kitchen table, then doubled over as pain shot up his leg.

* * *

_What the hell just happened in there?_

Liam grasped the wall, panting to catch his breath. He had Apparated out of the flat and run down the street and around the corner faster than he thought he had ever run in his entire life. No thoughts passed through his mind. It was like his entire world had stopped and he could not comprehend any details, like all he saw was the white early morning fog that was hovering over the city.

He had woken up early because he wanted to take a shower and make himself as presentable as possible for his meeting. It was not that he had been lying to Regulus, but he had not exactly told him the entire truth about the whole affair. The president of the Blood Equality Society thought he was a lunatic. Liam had tried and tried again to convince him that Voldemort and the Death Eaters were not going away, but he just did not agree. To Liam, this meeting was his last shot at gaining support.

_But for what?_

His head started to clear and he began to process his surroundings. He was leaning against a brick wall, hands curled in-between the crevices of the red blocks. Sweat was pouring down his face, and his entire body was shaking. What was the point of it anymore? If Regulus was on the other side, was there even a point to him being in England? Could he just go back to Ireland?

_Sure, Liam, run away with your tail between your legs…_

Because that's what he'd be doing if he went home. He would be admitting his failure, and he would have to explain to his family what happened. He would have to go back to a life dominated by the ocean, boats, and shipping. Not that it was a bad life, he loved his family's business – but could he really give up the dreams he had been cultivating since his first year at Hogwarts?

Liam wiped his forehead and his hand came away clammy. There was no way he could go to the meeting like this. He had to wash up _again_ and look even more presentable because he would not have Regulus by his side to prove his points. Not that they mattered anymore now that he knew Regulus' true colours.

_But is that really it? _He could not help himself. _Is he really like that?_

Because Liam was not sure. Oh, he knew that Regulus had been hiding something. He had known since the beginning of July that Regulus was involved in something secret; he just had not had any idea of what it was. He initially thought that maybe Regulus was having family problems. It would not be the kind of thing that Regulus would choose to talk about readily. But then Regulus started sneaking around and leaving in the middle of the night, even slipping away at odd times during the day like he had in Diagon Alley a few weeks prior.

Liam even approached Aislinn about his concerns, but being the carefree person she was, she brushed them away.

_"I'm sure there's an explanation for it, Liam," _she had said. _"Give him time. He'll tell you when he's ready. He's a good man, and he's been a good friend to you. Just wait for him."_

_ Some friend…_

How would Aislinn feel knowing that it was because of Regulus that she would have to walk with a limp for the rest of her life? What would his parents think when he told them that his best mate was a Pureblood sympathizer, the enemy, and an enemy who knew all about him and his family. Would Silas and Alana take Clare and run? Would Tara look twice while walking around the darkened alleys of Dublin at night and have to return home for safety?

_Stop it!_ He shook his head as if to drive the thoughts away. There was no reason to suspect any of that. Maybe Regulus was a spy for the good. If so, he could be in more danger than he realized, but maybe the situation was not as bad as he was envisioning. He had said that he could explain the maps; maybe he could explain it all away.

_Then why all the secrecy?_

* * *

_ How the hell am I going to explain this?_

Regulus was going to quit, he was ready to quit. Why hadn't he just destroyed those maps? He dragged himself into one of the kitchen chairs and sat holding his pounding head in his hands. Would Liam throw him out? Would he expose him as a man behind the attack? Would he get sent to Azkaban? What would his father say? What would the Dark Lord say?

The more the questions arose in his head, the worse he felt, and the hangover was not going away. His mouth tasted stale and dry, and, though his stomach felt completely empty, it also felt like it was about to expel every organ from the inside of his body. The turning of his stomach was so unbearable that he decided to ignore the pounding of his head enough to grasp the counter and start a pot of hot water for tea. He sifted through the box of tea bags until he found a couple he preferred and sipped the hot liquid slowly, feeling it trickle into his gut and soothe his muscles.

There was nothing for it. All he could do was tell the truth, as much as it was going to hurt him and Liam both. Maybe he would get sent to prison, maybe he wouldn't, but he had to tell him the truth. Maybe he would forgive.

* * *

Liam splashed the cool water over his face one more time. He felt the droplets sticking to the base of his hairline, ready to plunge to the floor once they reached the edge of the short, blonde curls. He gripped the basin of the ivory sink in the public restroom at the park and stared down at the remaining water spiralling to the centre of the drain.

_Just breathe…deep breaths._

It would not do to arrive at the meeting breathless. It would not do to appear frazzled or distracted. He had to look calm and collected if he hoped to convince the president of anything, least of all his sanity. There could be no question that he understood what he was doing and the ramifications of his actions. There was no margin for error – he had one shot, one opportunity to show that his ideas would work.

_But if I can't even recognize that my best mate is a Death Eater, then how can I say anything about fighting them?_

The empty sink was not solving his problems. Liam sighed and stared at himself in the mirror. He did not look half bad – he had regained colour in his cheeks and the remaining droplets of water made his hairline appear darker than the rest of his hair, but he knew that it would dry as soon as he started walking in the fresh air. He had cleansed his robes with a simple spell once he reached the restroom and knew that he was away from Muggle ears. He made them appear to be a suit rather than a large black cape to avoid stares on the street and set out toward the offices of T. Henry Preston, III.

Even the name made him sound boring. Preston was not exactly a pacifist, but he was not a total advocate of war either. He lay somewhere in the middle of every extreme, keeping a neutral policy so that he could dodge any bullet that came his way.

Or spell, for that matter.

Much to Liam's chagrin, Preston had a knack for dodging questions about his policies as well. He had the most unreadable expressions that Liam had ever encountered in a man and the majority of the time Liam had no idea whether or not Preston was agreeing with his statements or mentally tearing them down with every word. A typical meeting of the Society began with a monotony of the day's agenda, followed by reports from each of the officers, and then an opening of round-table discussion.

In the beginning, Liam did not participate in the discussions much. He tried to feel his way through the meetings, to see who could serve as an advocate and who his potential opponents might be. More than two months later, he had some idea of members who might possibly agree with a more active resistance to Voldemort and his followers, but he could not get anyone to openly agree with him in meetings. He had requested this meeting alone with Preston as a last ditch effort to prove his points.

Preston masqueraded as a London barrister in his professional life. He had skill in arguing both Muggle and magical cases, and a deep understanding of the laws of both societies, giving him political clout in both worlds. While his loyalties lay in his magical upbringing, having the ability to do both gave him versatility and certainly lined his pocketbook. His offices were located about a ten minute walk from the park where Liam had washed himself up and soon he found himself standing in front of the wooden double doors underneath the sign that read:

_**T. Henry Preston, III**_

_Barrister_

_Oxford and H. School_

Liam shouldered the door open and shut it firmly, turning around to the familiar low-lit reception room with an oak desk, three matching chairs, and a small bookshelf of Muggle classics. An antique clock struck nine in the morning just as he approached the desk, behind which sat a young witch not much older than himself.

"Good morning, Lexi," he said with a smile. "How are you today?"

"Better, I think, than you'll be after your meeting," she replied tartly, setting down a pencil on her desk calendar to look up at him.

He laughed, "You think that it is going to go that poorly?"

Lexi folded her arms and leaned on the desk, a long strand of brown hair falling from behind her ear, "Honestly? I think that you might be able to convince him, but he does have sensibilities, you know, even when it seems that he doesn't. I should know. I've had to live with him my whole life."

Alexis Brandon was the twenty-three-year-old niece and sole heir of Preston's fortunes. She was the picture of her mother, Preston's younger sister, who died under mysterious circumstances when Lexi was still a young girl. Liam regarded her as the expert of his moods and impressions, and always took the time to greet her upon entrance to his offices.

"I don't know, Lex," he shook his head. "He's a tough one to crack. I think I may have already lost the battle and the war."

One of her arms moved to brush the hair back behind her ear and adjust her glasses as she continued to joke with him, "That's no attitude to have. He can sense fear, you know."

Liam laughed and admitted, "Well, then, he already has me figured out. All I can do is go in there and try."

"Godspeed," she said. "I'm rooting for you, you know. I don't think that _he's_ going away. Henry just has to understand that. I think the real reason he doesn't want to interfere is because he's concerned that I'm going to die just like my parents."

Liam leaned on the desk toward her as if about to tell her a secret. "Well, you just tell him, then, that I'll make sure you're safe and sound." He winked at her and she blushed.

"Go on, you big oaf," she teased. "Get on with it. I'll be waiting for you just out here. Do know, though, that he has a Muggle client at ten. He'll want you out of here in forty-five minutes."

Liam checked the clock again and thanked her, "Wish me luck." He knocked on the door, and waited.

True to his nature, Preston was of average height and weight, standing just a few inches shorter than Liam, but weighing a good deal more. He always smelled of pipe tobacco and his thinning silver hair was always arranged impeccably. He opened the door and stood to the side, welcoming Liam into the room.

"Mr. Merric, good to see you, as always," he said. "Please sit down. Weren't you bringing a friend along?"

Liam nodded his thanks and took a seat across the desk from Preston before replying, "Yes, well, my mate, Regulus Black, was going to come along, but he seems to have contracted a chest cold and so he was unable to attend."

A lie, but a good one. The Blacks were not well-known for their health.

"I am sorry to hear that your friend is ill," replied Preston with sincerity. "Do send along my best wishes. I have always held his father in regard, though he has never been a silent supporter of Pureblood society."

Liam agreed, "Yes, I know very well of the Black family sympathies, but their sons have not seemed to act according to their parents' wishes. Sirius, of course, has been disowned, and Regulus and I have been best mates since we started at Hogwarts. He's always been careful to toe the line, though, just so that he is not disowned as well."

Preston looked surprised, "You really think that the Blacks would do such a thing? Disown both of their sons? That would be suicide for a family of such history."

"I am not sure I would put anything past the ability of a member of the Black family," Liam replied carefully. "They are not open supporters of Lord Voldemort, but I do have my doubts."

"Even of your friend?"

"Well, uh, Regulus, I am sure, is not of those sensibilities, seeing as he's my best mate," Liam sputtered.

_How did I back myself into this corner?_

"But you do not know for sure?"

"I've trusted him with my life thus far," Liam said, willing his voice to remain steady. "I hope that I never have to fear him for it."

"I doubt that your friend would ever put you in mortal peril," Preston remarked. "You have come a long way together, and from your description, he does not seem to be of the outspoken fundamentalist type that would wreak havoc as we have recently seen in Diagon Alley."

Liam's heart began to race and he stammered, "But that is just the thing, sir. There is no telling who did that. The authorities are no closer to discovering the culprit than they were two weeks ago. Don't you agree that it could have been the Death Eaters?"

Preston shook his head and defended his statement, "It is too visible a move for Lord Voldemort. He wants to attain political power. Why would he do so in this way? As witches and wizards, we vote for who we want to lead our society. Dictators have always been defeated and thrown out. He knows this. Why would he launch an attack when so many have been unsuccessful in the past?"

"Perhaps that's just it," pressed Liam. "He's overconfident. He thinks that he can convince the wizarding population and maintain his status by force. I think that he will stop at nothing to gain power, and that this is only the beginning. How would you feel, sir, if Lexi was murdered for being Half-Blood?"

"Those days are over," Preston insisted. "Alexis is in no more danger than you or I are. We must appeal to the reason of the voters, not fight back with the same brutality as our ancestors did. The only way to create a lasting effect is through diplomacy and legislation. They will come to see our point of view, Liam, I am sure of this. We do not need to organize an army and take over."

"Sir, I think that you're wrong," Liam said plainly. "And I would hate to see you or Lexi get hurt because of it."

"I like you, Liam," Preston admitted. "I like the fire and passion you have for our work. I think that you are a great asset to the Society. I just don't know how much we can use you if all you are going to insist upon is that we fight. I would like to believe that we can find more common ground, but I don't know where we are going to find it."

Liam hesitated for a moment, and then asked, "Are you suggesting that I give up?"

Preston shook his head and clarified, "No, not give up. I would hate to see you lose the spark that I mentioned. No, I am only suggesting that your skills might be better used in another group. Albus Dumbledore…"

But he never finished, because Liam interrupted him.

"I have little regard for Dumbledore," he hissed.

"Why ever not? He is on our side, you know."

"He may be on our side," Liam admitted. "But I can't work with the man."

Preston regarded the young man. "Is this because of House rivalries?"

"Partially."

"I was afraid of that," Preston uttered. "I'm disappointed. I believed you to be above all of that."

Liam shrugged and justified himself, "It is hard to unlearn what you have been taught. I'm not proud of it, I admit, but I can't bring myself to work for the man I was taught to hate from the moment I entered secondary school."

The men sat in silence for a few minutes.

"We are at an impasse, then," Preston noted.

"I believe so," Liam agreed. "I am sorry to have taken up so much of your time and energy."

"Don't be. It has been refreshing to see such fervour in someone so young as yourself," Preston assured him. "I'll not soon forget you, Liam Merric."

The men stood and shook hands. Liam found himself walking toward the door and walking over to the desk where Lexi sat.

"This is it, Lex," he muttered. "You'll not be seeing much of me for a long time."

She looked up at him with concern. "Are you leaving?"

He shrugged. "Maybe. I won't be coming to Society meetings anymore, though Preston actually gave me a compliment, so I suppose that's something."

Lexi smiled and agreed, "Yes, it is." She paused and looked down, then back up at him again.

"What you going to do?"

"I don't know," he admitted. "I really should get a real job, I think. But at the same time, I can't ignore what is going to happen. I feel like I've put my life on hold because I believe that there is something bigger going on."

"What?" she pressed. "You hint at it all the time, but you never actually say what it is you're afraid of. What do you think is going to happen?"

He looked her straight in the eye. "War. It's not going to go away."

Lexi nodded and said softly, "I know it's not, not after what happened in Diagon Alley."

"I have to go finish some things," he told her. His voice started to break. "You're not going to see me for a while, if ever again. Take care of yourself, okay? And take care of Preston."

He held out his hand for her to shake, but she surprised him by standing up on her toes and wrapping her arms around his shoulders.

"You take care of yourself, too," she said as she lowered herself to her normal height. "And your family. Safe travels."

* * *

Around eleven, Regulus heard the key turn slowly in the lock. He had been rehearsing what he was going to say when Liam arrived home, but he still felt no more confident than he had when he first sat down. Liam walked in the door and looked at him sitting at the kitchen table, then turned around slowly and locked it again.

"I should report you, you know," he muttered, back still turned.

Regulus took a deep breath, "But you haven't, have you?"

Liam kept staring at the wooden door, shoulders hunched and hands in his pockets, "No."

"Why haven't you then?"

Liam turned around and though his face was perfectly composed, Regulus could still see the same fire in his eyes that was there when he had awakened Regulus, "Because if I turn you in then I'll never know why. If I turn you in, they'll come after me."

Liam grasped the back of a chair on the opposite side of the table, "The way I see it, there's not much benefit in me turning you in, not yet, at least."

"What, then?" Regulus pushed. "Aren't you afraid that I've called up the Dark Lord and my fellow 'Evil Eaters' as you so like to call them?"

Liam considered him for a moment, "Not really. See, I figure, you got into this without really knowing what you were doing. I think you saw the chance for glory and the possibility of looking good and gaining power, and that was attractive to you, because it always has been."

He paused for a minute and looked down, then back up again at Regulus, "You never befriended me because you felt sorry for me or because you sincerely wanted a friend."

"That's not true!" Regulus retorted.

"Please, for once in your life, just listen," Liam pleaded. "I'm tired of listening to your excuses. I'm tired of hearing that you just want to take a walk by yourself or you're meeting up with someone from work for a meeting. None of that was true, was it?"

Regulus stared at the grainy wood of the kitchen table and mumbled, "It wasn't totally false. I mean, I did go for walks and I did meet up with people for work. Those just weren't the only things I did."

Liam shook his head bitterly, "You don't get it. You just don't get it. I knew there was something you weren't telling me, but I brushed it aside. Sure, he'll tell me eventually, I just have to give him his space."

Regulus' heart sank as he watched Liam pace about the room in his tirade.

"Eventually, I'll know why he keeps lying to me. He'll let me in on the secret and maybe it'll even be something I can help him with. You've always had secrets, Regulus, and I accepted it as just a part of who you were and tried to respect you for it. It's not like you grew up with a family that was open to hearing about your troubles and needs like I did. I know it's hard for you to share what's going on in your life."

He finally stopped and looked at Regulus again, jabbing with his finger as though he were pounding the words into his heart.

"But _you…you_ had no intention of ever sharing with me what was going on, did you. I bet you even rationalized your actions in your head. Oh, maybe if you help the _Dark Lord_ enough he'll allow you to keep your mate and his family safe from extermination, is that it? Or maybe it never occurred to you that your actions were hypocritical. Even while Aislinn and I were parading under your eyes and we explained to her together who it was she kept hearing about in the shops."

"Liam..." Regulus' voice trailed away as the other man continued.

"_No! _You're going to listen. I have a right to be this angry, and do you know why? Because I trusted you, and you betrayed me. I gave my life into your hands. All summer long, for the past seven years, we've been mates, and yeah, some people told me that it was strange for the son of a Pureblood family and a Slytherin at that to be so kind to me, but what of it, I thought. He's different. You can be a Slytherin without being of Pureblood sympathies, because all it takes is a drive to want to be the best, to do something worthwhile.

"I have that drive, Regulus, just like you do. That's why I am who I am. I don't think I was incorrectly placed, that I should have been in Gryffindor or Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff. I'm proud of my house. I'm proud of what we stand for, and I was proud of our friendship, of the fact that a Muggle-born Slytherin and a Pureblood Slytherin could be best mates. So what happened? Why did you give up?"

For the first time since he started talking, Liam was still. He was gripping the back of the chair again and looking down at Regulus, intently, expectantly, waiting for a reason, any reason. Waiting to hear why Regulus had turned against him and given up the truth for a lie.

"There's no good reason," he replied slowly. "I can't give you an answer that is going to satisfy you. I didn't go into it with the intention of exposing the Dark Lord or investigation, but I also didn't go into it looking to murder anyone."

He got up from the table and started pacing on the opposite side.

"I joined because everyone else was. I joined because it looked like it was a way to make contacts, networking, you know. My father has told me time and time again that you get everything because of who you know, and I believe him. Do you realize the kind of people who are Death Eaters?"

"Murderers," Liam hissed.

"Important people," Regulus pressed. "People who can affect what will happen in my life, who I'll meet, people who look at me and expect me to be one of them because of who I am. I'm Pureblood and I'm a Slytherin. That alone was enough to make them pursue me, to seek me out."

Liam looked surprised. "They sought you out?"

Regulus nodded and answered, "A couple months before we left school I received an owl from one of them indicating their interest in me and their willingness to help me find a job if I joined up with them. They suggested looking into the position under Jackson, and I did, and found that it was perfect for me. I knew a lot of people joining after school, and it seemed like a good way to maintain contact with them."

"But you were supporting a cause that totally goes against everything that you'd told me you believed."

"It's not like I was running around like a madman hexing every Half-Blood or Muggle-born in sight, Liam," retorted Regulus. "They asked me to make those maps a while ago; I didn't know what they were going to use them for. The Dark Lord had never launched a full-scale attack on _anywhere_ and it looked like anything violent that the Death Eaters were doing was of their own volition, not on his orders."

"You're mental," Liam exclaimed. "How could you think that such calculated attacks weren't planned by a central authority?"

Regulus shook his head and explained, "You don't know what he's like. When he talks, it's like he's talking to only you. He hardly ever gives group orders, just individual ones. It's not like we are getting together every night and torturing people for no reason at all. Sure, he has an agenda, but not one explicitly hostile, at least not from what I've seen."

"What about Diagon Alley?"

"What about it?" Regulus replied. "Apparently that shop was empty, according to the drawings I made."

"No it wasn't," Liam countered. "I know the man who owned it. He used to come to the bookstore on breaks. He was one of the people who was killed, _murdered_, by your so-called 'not explicitly hostile' attack."

"The shop _was_ empty," Regulus said in frustration. "They wouldn't have used it to launch an offensive otherwise. I don't doubt that it was owned by someone, but perhaps he had not yet set up a store there. Perhaps he was getting ready to do so, who knows. I am not a murderer."

"Who has been feeding you these lies? Because you sound just like one of them. I have a hard time believing that you aren't."

"NO ONE is feeding me lies!" Regulus yelled. "I know what I've been doing, and I never wanted to do anything violent. I'll even quit if that's what you want."

"No, Regulus," Liam said quietly. "It can't be about what I want. It should be about what you want. You want power and recognition. I know that, I always have, but now I know it more than ever. You want people who will validate who you are, and I thought that I was enough. I thought that because you had a best mate, you would realize that you don't need to do what your family wants for you to be someone of worth. But I was wrong."

He walked past Regulus and toward the hallway, then turned back.

"I'm going back to Ireland. When you're ready to listen, you'll know where to find me."

He shuffled to his bedroom and closed the door.

_That's it?_ Regulus thought to himself. What did Liam want from him? He would quit, really. He wanted Liam to stay. But he did want the recognition. How was he supposed to get it by researching spells for the Ministry?

And how was he supposed to quit, anyway? The Dark Lord surely would come after him and punish him for his disloyalty.

_"He'll know of your response before you even get there,"_ Severus had said. Did the Dark Lord already know that Regulus was thinking of leaving? What would he do to him if he tried? What if he chose to do something to Liam and his family instead, just to prove that he could?

"_You made a promise, a deal, and you can't back out of it."_ Severus' slippery voice haunted his thoughts and made him sick to his stomach. He was right. He couldn't back out of it, not now. He was in too deep. He had already shed innocent blood. Sooner or later, they would find him, or the Ministry would. Either way, it didn't matter. He was a dead man if he left, but if he stayed, he would have the protection of the Dark Lord.

Yes, the Dark Lord could keep him safe. He wouldn't kill a faithful servant, would he? He would never turn Regulus over to the Ministry for helping to plan that attack because it would be admitting that he had a hand in it himself. The only way to stay safe was to stay a Death Eater, and if Liam was leaving, it was not as if he had a better option or anyone holding him back. His parents, if they knew, which they surely must already, would be proud of a Death Eater son.

The Dark Lord was all that mattered.

* * *

The room was totally empty. Liam had shrunk the bed, the bedside table, the wardrobe, everything to fit inside of one trunk and then had charmed it to be feather-light and to appear like a Muggle suitcase. He was quite proud of the magic, actually, and excited to see how it would hold up at the airport.

_But what does it matter?_ he thought to himself with a sigh. It was not as if he could brag about it to anyone at home. He did not know of anyone in his hometown of Doolin who shared his magical abilities. He did not have any idea how he even had magical abilities, as no one in his recent family history had ever displayed anything of the sort, or at least nothing that anyone had ever noticed. None of his siblings had ever displayed any hint of magic, and even little Clare seemed to be a perfectly normal little child, though she was still very young.

Liam was different. He first used magic at the age of five when he had gone playing in the Cliffs of Moher with Silas. They were looking out over the ocean to the Aran Islands and down on Doolin when he took a misstep and would have fallen down among the cliffs themselves had he not stopped himself in midair. He could still remember the look of shock on sixteen-year-old Silas' face as his brother drifted back to the top of the rock unharmed.

_ "What did you just do?" Silas asked. "How in the world did you manage not to kill yourself? Mam would have had my head."_

_ Liam hadn't any clue what had happened. Silas grabbed his hand and the two boys scrambled back down toward the village to tell their mother, but were stopped by her father on the way._

_ "Slow down, lads," he said in his thick accent. "Where do you think you're going in such haste?"_

_ "Li-Liam did something strange," Silas replied carefully, though his voice was shaking. "He was slipping, and it wasn't my fault, really, but somehow he managed not to fall off the cliffs. He just…stopped himself."_

_ Liam was staring at his feet, not wanting to meet his grandfather's eye. Somehow he felt that he had done something wrong, and he could feel his entire face flushing as he realized he had no idea how to explain the occurrence._

_ "Did he now?" Callum Donnelly replied. "Liam, do you have any idea how you did this?"_

_ He shook his head and kept staring at his feet until Callum cupped his chin and drew his gaze upward to stare into his own. He seemed to stare at his grandfather for an eternity, unsure of what was going on._

_ "Come on, little one," Callum said as he picked up the little boy. "I feel you could do with a bit of soup and some chocolate, eh? Let's go talk to your mother."_

_ Liam rested his head on Callum's shoulder and gazed up at the cliffs as they walked toward the house on the edge of the village by the sea. Silas pushed the door and held it open for the aged man and his young charge, and Liam heard his mother gasp as they walked through the door, though he did not see her until Callum set him down at a chair by the kitchen table._

_ "Pa, what happened?" exclaimed Kate Merric. "Is something wrong with Liam?"_

_ She put her hand to his head and he could see the concern etched in her face as it flushed pink to match his own. Silas shuffled his feet and looked at the floor as Callum reached for her hand to draw her away from her youngest son._

_ "Nothing is wrong, he's just a bit shocked. The boys were playing up by the cliffs and evidently Liam here slipped, but he's fine," Callum reassured her._

_ She whipped around to face her oldest son and scolded, "Silas! You should have been keeping an eye on your brother. He's not but five! How could you have been so careless?"_

_ Silas opened a mouth in protest, but Callum silenced him, "It wasn't his fault, Katie. Calm down. Liam was able to save himself. I think it's best that we get him a bit to eat and let the boys sit down. I have some things that I need to talk to you about."_

_ It was not until that moment that it occurred to Liam – why was his grandfather in Doolin anyway? He lived farther north, in the small village of Fanore, where Kate and her siblings had grown up. There was not much of a distance between the two towns, but it was rare that Callum just happened to be at the edge of Doolin by the cliffs. There were plenty of limestone formations around Fanore itself, no need for Callum to come down to Doolin for a walk. Why had he been so close when the boys needed him most?_

But the thought vanished from his mind as soon as his mother placed the bowl of soup and a generous hunk of soft bread in front of him. She produced another bowl for Silas and Callum slipped both of them some chocolate before retreating into Kate's study and shutting the doors. Aislinn and Tara arrived home with Sean Merric soon afterwards and he never did find out what Kate and Callum had discussed so secretly.

The man did not live to learn of Liam's acceptance to Hogwarts School. A couple years later he simply did not return to his house one night. No one knew of his whereabouts, and though Kate and Sean organized a search party for him, his body was never found. It was assumed that he had taken a fall from the cliffs into the Atlantic Ocean one stormy evening as the swells reached up and made the rock surface slick to the step, being not as fortunate as Liam to catch himself. He was certain that no one other than his parents and Silas, and eventually Aislinn and Tara, ever knew what had happened up on the cliffs that day, and certain that if he were to return to Doolin showcasing his talents, he would keep few friends. Liam was returning to the home of his fathers, yet he was returning to a place where no one really knew who he was.

For the first time since he came to Hogwarts as a bright-eyed eleven-year-old, Liam felt that he was truly alone.


	6. Chapter 6

**Heart of Gold**

**Chapter 6**

**By American Wings**

* * *

The noon hour struck just as Regulus walked into the lobby of the Ministry of Magic. He had told Camden that he would be a bit late for work after he agreed to help Liam with his meeting, but he had not anticipated being so late that half of the day would be wasted. He barely registered any of his surroundings as he took the lift down to the proper level and walked toward his office, only to hear a shrill Scottish voice call out his name.

"Mr. Black! So you've finally decided to make an appearance this morning. Well, I suppose I should say this afternoon," called Camden from her office. He sighed and turned around.

"Good afternoon, ma'am. I apologise; when I said that I was going to be arriving late I did not anticipate that I would be this late."

"Yes, I see," she replied as she adjusted her tiny black glasses. "What kept you?"

"My roommate, Liam," he said quickly. "He, eh, has decided to return home and he needed help getting out the door."

"And this was a matter of urgency? Was he not home over the weekend taking his sister back from St. Mungo's?"

He furrowed his brow and explained, "Well, yes, he was, and while he was there he decided that he wanted to return home permanently."

"So, you're late because you went to his business meeting with him, which really wouldn't be of any consequence anyway since he's decided to return home, and the meeting went long, but because he had decided to return home, you decided it was your duty to escort him out the door," she finished. "Have I missed anything?

Regulus' heart sank as he realised how weak his argument sounded. The look she was giving him over the top rim of her glasses made him feel like he was facing the Wizengamot on charges of murder. Why hadn't he rehearsed a story to give her upon entering the office? Why hadn't he considered that the truth, even with a few modifications, sounded absurd? He could not very well tell Malinda Camden the whole story, revealing his status as a Death Eater. That was sure to put him before the Wizengamot anyway.

He took a deep breath and admitted, "No, you haven't. I _am_ sorry. I am just unable to reveal the full details of what happened with Liam. It's somewhat of a sticky situation, and he'd prefer that the real reasons for his departure not be released to the wizarding public at this time."

A wave of relief passed through his body as her voice softened with concern, "Oh, dear me, I didn't mean to open wounds. I do hope that your mate will be quite all right?"

"I'm sure he will be in time," he said softly. "But because of everything, I was unable to make it to the office at a decent hour. I have already eaten so I promise that I will not be leaving until the end of the day."

"Very good, then. Off you go, be sure to check in with my assistant."

"Assistant?"

"Lily, the one with the red hair. Next desk over outside of my office." She waved toward the right wall of her office as she turned back to her papers, leaving Regulus to his thoughts.

His heart skipped a beat. He knew he had recognized the girl, Lily Evans – no, Lily _Potter_. She had married that cheeky show-off; Lily, the girl that even the Slytherin boys had to admit was angelic.

"Oh, right," he replied lamely as he realised he was standing awkwardly in her doorway. "Good day, ma'am."

He left the room and looked to the right to behold Lily studying a piece of parchment and chewing on the end of a quill. He cleared his throat.

"Oh! How can I help you, er, Regulus? That's it, right?" she asked hesitantly. "You're Sirius' little brother?"

"Er."

_Damn._

"Yeah, yeah I'm his brother. Well, I was, at least."

_This could be going much better._

He laughed shortly. "Sorry, that's not what I meant. Mrs. Camden told me that I should check in with you, you know, because I arrived tardy to work. I just got here."

She looked concerned. "Were you sick?"

He shook his head and thought better about relaying the real purpose of his tardiness a second time.

"No, I just got held up at my flat. Life, you know. Things happen. But I am sorry. I didn't mean to arrive here this late."

"Are you sure you're not sick?" she asked him again, folding her arms and leaning on the desk. "Because you seem a little distant to me."

"You hardly know me," he stated. "How would you know if I was being distant?"

She raised an eyebrow and explained, "I may not know you, but I do know Sirius. You're not giving me the real story, and you don't want to, so you're coming at it from a far-off angle designed to confuse me and get me off your back."

"We're not that similar, you know," he replied defensively.

"That doesn't mean I'm wrong," she countered, pointing at him for emphasis.

"Does this even matter?"

She smiled. "Not in the slightest, except that if you were sick this morning this wouldn't count against you. If you just arrived late, well, I need to record that in your file for Malinda."

_Bloody hell…_

Why did this all have to be so complicated? Why couldn't they just let him go sit at his desk and do his job so that he could leave and meet Severus at the pub?

"Come on, Lily, don't you ever have bad mornings?" he pleaded. "There are just some things going on that I can't discuss. Mrs. Camden said that it was all fine. She told me that if I needed any help I could always ask her. Now, that doesn't seem like something that would need to be recorded in my file as insubordination."

"Oh, yes, you're nothing like Sirius at all," she said sarcastically, finally leaning backwards again. "Fine, then, if she found your excuse suitable then I suppose this doesn't need to go on your permanent record. Go ahead in."

He nodded his thanks and set off toward his desk.

"Regulus?"

He turned. "Yeah?"

"He's doing all right, you know. Your brother. He's not starving or anything."

Conflicted, Regulus bit his lip and responded, "Splendid. Have a good day."

_Well, at least it fits the day,_ he thought to himself as he dropped his bag on the carpet by his chair. A nasty hangover, Liam, an inquiry at work, Sirius, and later a meeting with Severus. It was shaping up to be the best way to end the summer. Luckily, the office seemed to be empty due to the lunch hour. He sat a moment and took several deep breaths in an attempt to calm his nerves. To his surprise, and delight, it worked. He started work again on the filing system that he had been creating since the beginning of July.

Regulus' job was important to him, but he didn't seem to be getting much farther in learning how spells worked and how they were created. Jacks either hadn't yet found the time to sit down with him and talk about it, or he hadn't ever intended to. Regulus was unsure of which it was, and hadn't had much time to think about it because of his strained relationship with Liam; however, now that Liam was gone, and he had nothing with which to occupy himself as he sifted randomly through the catalogue, the memory of his interview came fresh to his mind.

_What's the point in me having this job? I thought I would be benefiting the Dark Lord, but am I really doing anything of value for him?_

Why stick with the job? If the Dark Lord was all that mattered, would he not be of better use if he could devote all his time to service? Surely there were many other projects that would benefit from his expertise, both in knowledge of the inner workings of the Ministry of Magic and in family connections.

His vision of greatness came to him again. Would he not become great in the eyes of all if he were the Dark Lord's right hand man? Severus had said that if he would only yield himself more, he would be able to achieve the impossible task of getting close to the man who would likely determine the future of the wizarding world. How close was Severus? Though Regulus considered him a friend, they had been competitors in school, and they remained competitors in the service of the Dark Lord. They were never equals. Severus had maintained the upper hand in school, and even now he was the one relaying information to Regulus. The Dark Lord had not called him to his side since the beginning of July – why not? What could Regulus do to make himself more available, more loyal, more of worth?

"All right, there, Regulus?" said Alec brightly as he entered the room. Regulus started so much that he shook the chair.

"Hi, Alec. Back so soon?"

Alec checked his pocket watch. "It's nearly one o'clock. You didn't think I'd be tardy in returning from lunch, did you? Malinda would have had my head."

"Yes, she's in a bit of a mood this afternoon."

"Well, you were late," Alec said pointedly as he placed his bag on the floor. His desk was strewn with parchment and ink wells that he had neglected to put away before he left to eat. Regulus watched him shift the papers about a little while attempting to think of a good response.

"I had a good excuse," he replied lamely.

Alec raised his eyebrows at Regulus as he sat down and said, "Of course you did." He placed his reading glasses deftly on the bridge of his nose and began to shift the papers again.

"How are the files coming?" Alec asked without looking up.

"Fine," Regulus said, turning back to the desk himself. "I'll be glad when the project is over with. I feel like I'm not doing anything of merit."

Alec laughed and agreed, "Yes, I remember my early days in the department. It was going through personnel files for me, making sure that Malinda had the proper information about every department employee. Then it was banking records and financial statements."

"Does anybody in the department even _do_ anything spell related?" Regulus asked cautiously.

"Sure they do," Alec replied as he grabbed a quill from the desk and dipped it in black ink. "But I haven't seen most of the experimental projects. All that I really see are the potential patents for spells that have already been proven to work."

That piqued Regulus' interest.

"Really? _New_ spells? Like what?"

"Well, this isn't something you can reveal to a whole lot of people," Alec stressed as his voice dropped to a low murmur and he glanced up from the desk. "A lot of what comes across my desk is semi-confidential material. I mean, they're soon-to-be-released reports, but for the most part they aren't open to the public yet. I'm really probably not supposed to be divulging this to you even."

"Yeah, I understand," Regulus replied eagerly. "What do you do?"

"I mostly just check over the reports for any potential flaws dealing with wizarding law, both British and international," Alec explained. "The whole mechanics of the spells, well, that's for the experts to figure out. I'm more of a paperwork bloke."

Regulus grinned and noted, "Well, someone has to do it. At least you get to look over the new material. That has to be fascinating."

"It's all right, I guess," Alec said, chewing on the quill for a moment. "I was never very interested in _how_ spells worked, just concerned over the fact that they did work and my wand wasn't going to blow me to pieces if I botched one up. I've always been interested in law. I studied a bit of Muggle law for a while after I left school, but I was never interested in litigation. This is a nice, low-key job and still semi-interesting."

Regulus leaned toward the desk and file cabinets enviously and admitted, "I would kill to read some of those new spells."

"Kill?" Alec questioned hesitantly. Regulus jerked back in the chair, tipping it backwards slightly.

"No, no, not literally, of course," he said hastily, scratching the back of his neck. "But that's what I applied to do here, you know – to be involved in the experimental process of it all and maybe be able to create something really brilliant."

_Nice recovery, _he told himself.

"You'll get there," Alec assured him, voice still tinged with a bit of apprehension. "To alter a Muggle proverb a bit, Hogwarts wasn't built in a day, and it's ever-changing. Even when you think you've achieved where you want to be, there's always someplace else that you can go."

"I'd be happy just to do anything of worth."

Alec looked puzzled. "You already are. Do you think that your filing system isn't going to be of any use to this office? Why, I've already heard others comment on how much easier it is to locate obscure spells. The experimental witches and wizards rely on it to make sure their work is not going to be wasted."

Regulus, sifting through the "S" cards on the desk, held up one that read "STUPEFY" at the top in large letters.

"Yes, I'm sure my cataloguing this spell is serving the greater wizarding community," he replied sarcastically, tossing the card lightly back on the desk.

"Well, it sure isn't with that kind of attitude," Alec said lightly. "Cheer up, you'll make it. You've only been out of school for two months. Do you know how rare it is for most students to even have a job already? You must have had excellent marks in order to have been given this job. Jacks hasn't hired anyone just out of school in years."

Regulus shrugged and propped a knee up on the side of the desk. "They just needed someone to do paperwork. I doubt that they hired me for any reason other than that."

"You know that's not true," Alec stated resolutely. "You know that you've already achieved more than most people have, and you know that you're going to get where you want to be. But today you're here and you have to do the work that has been given to you."

"Look, I get it, all right?" Regulus said in an annoyed tone. "I'm special, I have all these talents that can be used for all of these wonderful purposes and someday, someday someone will take notice of me and I'll finally get where I want to be in life. That's been dished to me by everyone since I was a kid. But I want more than just to be great in this department. I don't want my life to be defined by what I do here."

"Then what do you want?"

"Recognition. Fame. Glory. To be something." Regulus looked him straight in the eye. "I don't want to do this for the rest of my life. I'm not a paperwork bloke."

Alec was silent for a moment, but then replied softly, "I have no doubt that you'll achieve that, and more, but don't rush it. You're very bright and I want to see you do well, but if you push too hard too fast you might not be able to achieve anything at all."

"I'll be careful," Regulus said lightly.

"Yeah, I'll believe it when I see it," Alec said in a joking tone. "Oh, by the way, my wife Anna wanted me to extend an invitation to you for supper sometime this weekend. Do you think you'd be able to make it?"

This weekend? It would be nice to eat a meal cooked by someone other than himself or Liam, neither of whom had mastered cooking skills quite yet. But there was always the chance that the Dark Lord might need him over the weekend. He could not very well make plans and then have to decline them at the last minute because he was needed at his side.

"That would be great, Alec, but I'm not sure that I'll be able to make it," Regulus lied. "My mother mentioned something about a possible meal at the house. They've been more family-oriented with me since disowning my brother."

Not true at all, but there was no way that Alec would know that.

He nodded and his voice was tinged with a hint of disappointment, "I understand. Another time, then. Your roommate would be welcome to come as well. Liam, right?"

Regulus felt his face flush with slight embarrassment as he stammered, "Uh, well, Liam has decided to go back to Ireland indefinitely. That would be the good excuse as to why I was late today. I was helping him move out."

"Oh, I see," Alec replied delicately. "I am very sorry to hear that. Was it because of his sister?"

"Yeah, partly. He really missed his family, too," Regulus explained. "He just needed my approval to move out, you know, since that would mean him not paying to hire the flat anymore and me having to take care of everything all by myself."

_I sound pathetic._

"I'm very sorry to hear that, Regulus. I know that you both are very close mates," Alec said.

Regulus shrugged. "I'll see him again at some point, I'm sure. I had better get to work on this system for the day. Taking off work last week really set me back, and so did being late this morning. Thanks again for the invitation. I'll let you know if I can come."

Alec nodded. "Please do. Let me know if there is anything Anna and I can do for you."

His kind words were numbing to Regulus' heart. If Alec knew the real reason that Regulus was refusing, what would he do? If he knew that Regulus' heart was in pushing for the prize, leaning toward the future, rather than working in the present, what would he say?

_Does it matter?_

Regulus glanced furtively to the right at the man leaning over the desk, turned slightly away so that he did not appear to see Regulus looking at him. His reading glasses had fallen down the bridge of his nose and he was tapping the tip of the quill on the desk as he read through one of the patents. He was only a co-worker. Regulus was not required to share any part of his life with him. Besides, he was clearly not a supporter of the Dark Lord and not even driven in life. He was perfectly fine with staying in his current job forever. What good would he be to Regulus in the future? How many people could he possibly have contacts with?

Regulus did not need Alec, and he did not need Alec's wife. All he needed was his cunning wit and absolute devotion to the Dark Lord. He turned back to his desk, determined to get as much work done as possible that afternoon in hopes of receiving a more exciting assignment once it was completed. Alec left with a light "cheers" at half-past five, but Regulus stayed until it was nearly seven o'clock, leaving just in time to cross the grimy threshold at the Knockturn Alley pub.

* * *

Severus was sitting in the shaded back-right corner of the pub again, sipping at a pint of a greenish liquid. Regulus walked swiftly into the pub this time and marched over to the table, making eye contact with no one and hoping that he appeared to be walking with purpose. Severus did not look up once but watched Regulus with examining eyes as he pulled out the chair on the opposite side of the table and sat down with ease.

"So, you've come." He took another sip.

"Yes."

"I understand that Merric was seen entering the Muggle airport early this afternoon. He has returned to Ireland?" Severus inquired nonchalantly.

Regulus took a deep breath and explained, "Merric and I have several differences of opinion that we have decided are too divisive for us to be able to live together anymore."

"I see." Another sip. "Differences of opinion. _Muffliato_."

"A very good choice, Severus. So were you spying on him or someone else?" Regulus asked as he began to run a finger nervously along the rough wood of the underside of the table.

Severus smiled. "Spying? That's such a harsh word. No, we have not been spying on dear Liam. We may have an agent at the airport, though. What changed your mind? You were quite adamant in your sensibilities last week."

Regulus felt a splinter pierce his thumb and winced slightly as he tried to think of a good response.

"Yes, so I was," he agreed. "But things change. Liam, I think, has become too radical in the _other_ direction. He saw the sketches."

"He saw _what?_" exclaimed Severus as he raised his eyebrows in surprise.

"I know," Regulus groaned as he tried using his other hand to wiggle the splinter out of his skin. "But I don't think that he'll do anything. I believe that he's given up on anyone here doing anything to stand up to the Dark Lord. I absently left them sitting on my desk over the weekend. Last night, er, I may have had a bit too much to drink and forgot to put them away before he got home."

Finally the splinter came loose and he brought both hands above the table to use for emphasis.

"It doesn't matter, though, because he wouldn't listen. He just kept going on and on about how he didn't feel like he could trust me anymore and how I had been betraying our friendship and…he called me a _traitor_, Severus! A traitor! When all along I've been trying to keep him and Aislinn and the rest of his family safe. I never meant for her to get hurt, she was just in the wrong place at the wrong time."

"I know, I know," Severus murmured gently. "He doesn't understand what we're working for. This is about the ineffectiveness of the Ministry and our corrupt leaders, remember? He doesn't see that. All he sees is the Pureblood argument. He can't accept that we're really fighting for the same thing."

Regulus looked down at his hands and said nothing, examining the conflicting thoughts that had been running through his mind all day.

_He's your friend, _said a little voice in his head. _All he wants is your loyalty. The Pureblood argument __**is **__one that is against him because he's Muggleborn._

_But once the Dark Lord triumphs over the Ministry, that won't matter anymore,_ another voice reminded him. _Don't you want to be on top? Don't you want to be there to keep those you love safe once that happens? There is no way that the Ministry can win this, they can't even agree enough to pass good policies. How are they going to be able to stand up to an army that works like a machine?_

He looked up at Severus, who took another sip of his green drink. It was getting toward the bottom of the glass now.

"I know that we're doing the right thing," he said affirmatively. "I know that the Ministry has to be stopped. They aren't fit to get anything done and they are hurting the entire wizarding community in the process. I just wish that we weren't required to resort to such drastic measures, and I wish that Liam could see that I'm doing this for the good of everyone."

"I'm sure he will in time," Severus assured him. "But you can't wait for that time to come before you act. Perhaps he will change his mind once he sees the good that can come from reform. I'm glad that you have decided to stick with us. We really need the use of your talents and your connections."

Regulus perked up and questioned, "My connections?"

Severus nodded. "I've mentioned before that Dumbledore has created some sort of alliance that is counter to the Dark Lord's glorious cause. Since the action at Diagon Alley, they have increased their efforts against us. It is largely a secret who is involved in this operation, but we have identified several key suspects. Included among them are your brother…"

"Former brother," Regulus interrupted.

"You don't have to keep interrupting me every time I do that, Regulus. He's your brother. Get over yourself. The fact that he's your brother makes you more important. Anyway, Sirius is involved in this organisation, as well as Lily and James Potter," Severus finished.

"The golden couple," Regulus chuckled. "Why am I not surprised. And Sirius, who always did everything James wanted to do."

Severus finished the drink and agreed, "Exactly. The point is we have a key operation that is due to launch in early November. We're concerned that the trio is involved in trying to get information about our plans, and we're hoping that you would be kind enough to attempt some counter-information gathering."

"You mean spying," Regulus clarified.

"In this case, yes," Severus affirmed. "But it's necessary. They are key targets. Spying on Liam would not have done us much good because it would have been a waste of man power and we weren't sure whether or not it was needed. You are in a key position because Lily is the secretary for your boss, and she's Potter's wife. You may even be able to get close to Sirius, but I would not try to push it too hard."

"What about Peter? Didn't you say that he was perfectly positioned for this before?" Regulus inquired.

"Pettigrew is perfectly positioned, but we can't use him for everything," Severus explained. "He is currently our spy for Dumbledore's alliance, but we think that all of the plans aren't being revealed to him because of his inherent qualities that might render him unsuitable for the type of plans being considered."

Regulus questioned him further, "You mean that you think they aren't telling Peter everything because they might be planning a mission he can't physically participate in?"

Severus nodded, "Yes. We need him to stay close to the Potters. He can't be put in a position where he might lose their trust. If he were to try to get this information and be caught, well, we would lose our spy, and that is much more important right now. I want you to understand the gravity of your importance in this situation. Without you, our mission cannot succeed."

Regulus nodded and felt an enormous sense of pride sweep over his body. "I'll do my best. May I ask the date of this operation?"

"Oh, if you think hard enough of it, I think you'll be able to figure it out," Severus told him with a chuckle. "Early November. Corrupt government. Think about it."

Regulus laughed and shook his head. "How daft could I be? Fifth November, of course. Guy Fawkes could have used a bit of magic that day."

"It's a good thing that we have plenty of that," Severus noted.

"So what do I need to do?" Regulus asked. "Do you want me to follow her? Just start talking to her more?"

"I would stay away from following her because that could get you noticed," Severus pointed out. "Do start talking to her. Have you done that at all?"

Regulus nodded. "She and I talked for a bit this morning. She seems very personable and easy to communicate with, though I may have jeopardised my chances by being short with her. I still think she was a bit taken with me, though."

Severus snorted and reminded him, "She has a husband. She was probably just being nice."

"Likely, but I still think that she could warm up to me," Regulus insisted. "I'll work on her."

"Good," Severus replied. He appeared to be about to end the conversation, but Regulus wanted to question him further.

"Severus, what can I do to get into the Dark Lord's good graces?" he asked, trying to keep his voice steady and conceal his eagerness for a response. "I feel like I'm doing nothing of worth and that I am wasting away in this useless job. You seem to know so much about him and what he wants. What is it that you did to get where you are?"

Severus stared at him for a moment, then looked away and sighed.

"There is no formula. You just need to be available, loyal, and skilled," he said bluntly. "I deliver quality results on everything I do. He knows that whatever he asks will be done. I waste little time on the pomp and ceremony of…_others_."

"You mean grovelling?"

Severus nodded. "I give him reverence and honour, but bowing before his feet is useless to him unless you have something to offer. Always remember that you are expendable. Useful, certainly, but expendable."

"I thought you said that I was the only one for this job," Regulus retorted in protest.

"Today, maybe," Severus replied. "Today you are the best that the Dark Lord has at his disposal. Today you can offer him something that no one else can. But I can't guarantee you tomorrow. You must always be on your guard."

Regulus' heart seemed to be sinking. There had to be a way to get closer to the Dark Lord, but Severus was not going to tell him. He would have to figure it out on his own. Severus was trying to hold him back.

"I understand completely," Regulus replied carefully. "I'll do better than my best for this assignment. He'll see that he has my complete and utter obedience. When do you need a report?"

"Oh, no specific deadline. This is long term. You'll know when we need to reach you," Severus promised casually. "Well, I'm off. I have business to attend to."

Regulus nodded and started to get up to leave, but noticed that Severus was still sitting down. He looked back at the older man.

Severus examined him again and then said softly, "I'm glad that you've chosen to stick with this, Regulus. You've made the right decision. I hope you'll remember that, even when it seems that everything is going wrong."

"Do you think it will come to that?" Regulus asked carefully.

Severus shook his head. "Of course not. But just in case, remember. We're fighting for the right reasons. Change must come, and this is the way that it has to be."

"For a better future," Regulus offered.

"Yes, a better future."

* * *

Not so far away, yet a world apart, Liam walked through the streets of Doolin, passing by the shop where his mother used to buy fresh fruits and vegetables, past the local chapel where families went to dedicate their babies to the service of the Lord and where many of his friends were planning to celebrate their weddings, past the shops whose owners used his father's shipping company to cast their wares off to the horizon. The plane ride had not been so eventful and he had chosen to Apparate once he arrived back in Ireland rather than to catch a car, just so that he would be able to walk along the docks at sunset.

The surface of these waters had changed much in his father's lifetime. Liam remembered hearing stories when he was young about the old ships that used to anchor in the harbour, with their tall, black masts and the new, large steam engines that powered them across the Atlantic. Those ships were no longer assembled near Doolin, but the sea remained an important part of their lives. The wharfs were filled with large wooden boats now, as well as the more modern boats used by his father's company, and the large cruise boats that ferried travellers to and from the area. Even small speedboats populated the waters, owned by rich foreigners and landowners who had money to spare.

This was his home. This was where his family had lived for generations and where he had always hoped to settle down, even after he went off to school in Scotland. This was where he remembered playing on the cliffs with Silas, running along the beaches with his sisters, helping his mother do the shopping, and learning from his father how to tie the knots that were so important to holding the boats close to the docks. This was where he had watched countless sunsets and sunrises and where he had stood in the shallow waters near the rocks with his classmates catching sea creatures and swimming on hot summer days.

And this was the one place he felt that it was safe to hide from danger. But could it be the one place where danger would find him anyway? Could his presence in this tiny, seaside town bring disaster upon residents who knew nothing about the world in which he had spent the last seven years of his life?

He felt a chill air as the sun crept fully behind the horizon and the world was lit by the reflection of the moon and stars upon the still waters. He took a deep breath and filled his lungs with the familiar, salty air, feeling at peace as he heard the late summer insects begin their familiar evening humming, lulling his fears to sleep. Liam found the familiar street and walked past the houses he could describe by memory – every stone, every brick, every white picket fence was etched into his mind by years of walking to and from the docks, the town, and his grammar school.

Finally he saw it, the two-story stone house surrounded by a waist-high wall made of the same steel-grey rocks. His grandfather Callum and a great-uncle had built the house out of the rocks found in a quarry an hour away when they were young men, engaged to their soul mates, ready to start their lives. The house with its carefully tended garden and the soft, glowing light in each window always made him feel stronger and surer of himself. His parents had added another fence dividing the garden into two halves when their children were younger, to keep them confined to a safe playing area. Liam pushed the wooden door of the outer wall open and heard the delighted sounds of a young child playing behind this other fence.

He walked over and looked, joy filling his body at the sight of his little niece Clare, absorbed in her play and totally oblivious to everything else around her. His heart ached for the days when he had been just like her, totally focused on the present and whatever fun could be had that day. He thought back just a few months to when he and Regulus had enjoyed being in their last year of school, planning their last adventures on the familiar grounds and half planning for their future, but still only focusing on what was happening right then. How he wished he could rewind and tell his mate not to make the decision he already had.

_Snap._ His foot on a branch broke the sudden stillness of the evening. Clare started and looked in his direction, face etched with concern and unsure of what to do. She did not seem to recognize her young uncle. She started to whimper and Liam walked forward hesitantly.

"Shh, Clare, you're fine, love," Liam cooed softly. "It's just me, Uncle Liam. You remember me, don't you? I brought your Auntie Aislinn home last week. Where's your mum, hmm? Where's Alana?"

"Liam?" called a soft voice from the side door. Alana stood there, framed by her dark, wavy hair gathered around her shoulders and backed by the interior light of the house. "Is that you?"

He smiled and replied affirmatively, "Hi, Lana. I'm back. Sorry to have scared Clare, but I think she's all right now."

Clare had walked over to her mother and was now clinging to her skirt, but at least she had stopped whimpering. She looked back at Liam with her bright blue eyes, curious, but still shy of this man that she had only seen a few times within her memory.

"What's wrong?" Alana questioned as she bent down to pick up her tiny daughter. "Why aren't you in London? Have you told anyone that you're back?"

Liam took a deep breath. "It's a long story, and one that I think probably should not be told at this moment, with little ones present. Are you staying long?"

Alana moved aside to welcome him into the house. "Silas and your father went south to repair one of the smaller boats. Mum thought it might be a good idea for Clare and I to spend the night here since she still sometimes fusses after dark and it's hard for me to deal with her on my own, especially since she can walk, talk, and get into all kinds of mischief now, can't you, little one?" She tickled Clare and was rewarded with a little giggle, bringing another foreign smile to Liam's face.

_This was a very good idea._

"I see," he replied. "Well, I'll explain everything when they get back."

He embraced Alana as well as he could without crushing Clare and then nodded down the hallway toward the kitchen.

"Shall we? I can smell that pie Mum is making, and I'm starving," he explained.

Alana rolled her eyes and teased, "You boys and your food."

"Boys?" Liam exclaimed in mock offence. "I've left school now. I'm a full-fledged wizard, fit to do all kinds of complicated things you've never even dreamed of."

"Yes, well, your appetite will never change. Silas is proof of that," she countered. "Come on, then. Let's make your stomach happy. Your mother will be very glad to see you, I know. She's been worried about you in that city."

He sighed and admitted, "With good reason. All will be revealed in time. Let's enjoy this time we have tonight, eh?"

She nodded and he let her lead him down the familiar hallways covered with pictures into the kitchen where Kate Merric was just adding the finishing touches to the dinner table, helped by Aislinn, still on the mend from her injury. He enjoyed the peaceful night, joking with his sister and sister-in-law, complimenting his mother at every opportunity, and watching Clare warm up to him once again. He enjoyed each moment, knowing that the peace would be broken upon the return of his father and brother.

_Oh Regulus,_ he thought as he stretched out on his familiar bed that he had not yet found the time to move to London. _What pain might this cause?_

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Firstly, a note of thanks to my faithful betas: Cygnus, Felicia, and the ever-wonderful Arnel. Thanks for sticking with me and encouraging me not just in my writing, but also in my studies and life adventures, especially my London excursions.

To any residents of London: this chapter is yours, written predominantly in your wonderful, beautiful city.


	7. Chapter 7

**Heart of Gold**

**Chapter 7**

**By American Wings**

* * *

Fall began quickly for Regulus, his life settling into a new kind of routine as the leaves changed. He woke at seven each day and spent an hour preparing, running through a list in his mind of what he had to complete that day both at work and in the service of the Dark Lord. Luckily, those two jobs usually coincided. He walked in the door at exactly fifteen before nine, just in time to catch Lily before most everyone else arrived, but also leaving a short enough margin so that their conversations never lasted longer than a few minutes. By mid-September, he had already gathered enough facts to be able to sketch a life portrait of her in his head: born into a Muggle family, had a talent for charms all throughout school, not close friends with James or Sirius until their seventh year, and a strong proponent of blood equality. His goal throughout each conversation with her was to leave out as much detail about himself as possible, but this was getting much more difficult as the month drew to a close.

He walked into the office at his usual time one Thursday morning and she greeted him with her usual cheerful smile.

"Good morning," she said as she shoved a stack of papers aside in order to see him better. "On time again, I see."

He laughed lightly and agreed, "Well, I have been trying, you know. I've found that I get a lot more done this way. How is everything going with you?"

Lily brushed a bit of hair behind an ear as she said, "Nothing much new. James and I are looking for a better place to live. We'd like to get out of our London flat, you see. It's nice to be in the city, but it's so expensive and we feel like we would probably be safer elsewhere."

"You're worried about being attacked?" Regulus asked curiously.

"Well, not attacked, _per se,_" Lily explained. "At least not today, but one hears rumours. It almost feels like the entire wizarding world is going to turn into a war zone before long."

He shook his head. "Now, that's just silly. You're an assistant for a Ministry employee and James is a…what does he do again?"

"Training to be an Auror," Lily reminded him. "You're right about my job, but he's doing something dangerous that could potentially make him a target for Voldemort."

Regulus was taken aback at her use of his full name but tried his best to keep a straight face as she continued.

"There's also the fact that I'm not exactly what one would consider Pureblood," she said softly.

"I see what you mean," he admitted. "Where are you looking to live? Would you not be a member of the department anymore?"

She shrugged her shoulders. "Somewhere in the country, I should think. Not near the city at least. We're still not sure of a direction, and there's always his parents' house."

"Are his parents no longer residents of the house?" he questioned, leaning on the side of her desk a little to make their conversation seem more personal.

Lily bit her lip and said, "Not anymore. They both died last year. They had James very late in life so they were quite old for wizards. James is technically the owner of their house, but we haven't lived there because it is a bit painful for him to be there without his parents, and we're closer to work by living in London."

"Yeah, I'm not sure if I would be able to live in my parents' house if they died either," Regulus admitted without realizing that he was bringing himself into the conversation.

"You're their only heir now, right? I mean, since they no longer consider Sirius their son," Lily asked quickly.

"That's right," Regulus said, trying to come up with an answer that would satisfy her enough to not ask many further questions. "If they were to die I would receive everything, as far as I know. I mean, there may be some distant cousin that I have no knowledge of who might get something, too. As long as I manage to keep them happy, I should be set for life."

He looked down at her conflicted face, towering over her as she remained sitting in the chair. She looked very confused by his simple statement, probably because of Sirius.

"It's just so strange to hear you talk about them," she admitted. "Sirius either never does or does only with disdain. You talk about them as if they're nothing to you. I mean, obviously they must mean something to you because they're your parents, but really it seems like you only think of them as a repository of money and influence."

"It's not like they were ever the prime example of love and affection," he pointed out. "I mean, you've never met my mother, but James has. He could describe her to you very well I'm sure. Sirius has just never been smart about the way that he interacts with them, that's why he got disowned."

"It's not right," she said matter-of-factly. "You know it's not."

Regulus insisted otherwise, "He knew what he was doing. I couldn't have stopped him or them from doing what they did. They're too different and they've been set against each another ever since I can remember. What would you have me do, Lily?"

"I just think that you're missing out on the life of someone who should be important to you," she explained, her voice tinged with a hint of sadness. "It amazes me to think that you probably know more about me just from talking to me for ten minutes at the beginning of each day for the past month than you know about your own brother, whom you probably haven't spoken to in at least a year."

"Sometimes it's harder to talk to your own family than it is to talk to a complete stranger," Regulus stated, feeling his heart begin to pound.

"I think you secretly miss him and you wish that you could talk to him and that's why you talk to me," she suddenly exclaimed. "I think that hearing about my life and James' life, the life of Sirius' best mate, makes you feel closer to him. Why don't you just ring him and ask to go to dinner in a pub? Meet him in Covent Garden or something, somewhere that has a lot of restaurants, a lot of people, and not wizards who would see you and spread rumours that might reach your parents."

He shrugged and shook his head. "I can't, not now. Maybe someday, but probably not. My parents are alive and well. They aren't going anywhere soon, and there is way too much at stake should they ever find out that I did something like that. Hell, there's way too much at stake for them ever to find out that I've even thought about it. I should just go into work."

"Suit yourself," she said, disappointed. "But I'm still right."

"Maybe you are," he said as he picked up his bag. "But I doubt we'll ever find out."

He wished her a good day and felt a bit guilty as she turned to her work and he followed the familiar path to his desk. That was the first time that she had really been able to bother him ethically since the day they met a few weeks prior. He felt awkward around her every time Sirius came into the conversation. What did she expect him to do? There was no way that he could be close to his brother if he hoped to succeed. His parents would quickly disown him if he followed in Sirius' path, and though the Dark Lord would likely be pleased with a spy close to his wild brother, Severus had already made it clear that that was Peter's role.

He wondered if Lily had any idea that Peter was a Death Eater. In all likelihood, she had no idea that two of the men she was becoming close to were in service against her work. Did it bother James that she talked to Regulus every morning? Did James even know? It was the Dark Lord's goal to get close to Dumbledore's mysterious organisation through Lily. How angry would she be if she knew the truth?

_Looks like I'm just letting everybody down_, he thought grimly to himself. _Everybody but the Dark Lord._

The ethical battles in his mind were getting no closer to a conclusion even four months after they had begun. He still felt that he was doing the right thing by being in the service of the Dark Lord, but he also knew that half of the people closest to him would feel utterly betrayed if they knew the truth.

A message appeared on his desk from the front office. Camden had decided that owls would no longer be allowed to fly through _her_ section of the department after a fifth pile of important documents was destroyed when an owl miscalculated his landing speed and bowled right through them, poking holes with his talons and littering the office with scraps of paper and feathers. Jacks had tried to convince her to use a filing cabinet instead of stacking papers all over the office, but she insisted that the problem could be solved by keeping owls out of her section of the building.

Regulus picked up the little scroll and unfurled it to reveal his father's handwriting, inviting him to dinner the following night.

_Demanding, more like_, he thought to himself, but he knew that it would be a good idea. Perhaps he could talk to Orion about how he dealt with questions about Sirius. After all, his parents were the ones who had disowned him in the first place and his father knew plenty of adult wizards who were against the decision. As far as he knew, his parents were not Death Eaters, but they were definitely Pureblood sympathizers. They had to be able to give him some sort of advice, even if they did not openly seek to be in his life on a regular basis.

He wrote back an affirmative response to his father and went back to his work. Finally, round three o'clock, he finished the project that he had been working on since he started work. The filing system was complete.

He leaned back in his chair and whispered at Alec, "Alec! I've finished!"

"Have you now? Well, that's wonderful," the older wizard told him. "Congratulations. Maybe now you'll be able to move on to bigger and better things."

"Yeah, I'm going to go let Jacks know," Regulus exclaimed. He placed the final card into the cabinet and carried it over to where his new system stood, against a wall near the back of the department. He fixed himself a cup of tea on his way to Jacks' office and knocked firmly on the doorframe while he waited for Jacks to turn around.

Jacks spun in his chair and greeted Regulus with a smile. "Well, good afternoon. What brings you over here?"

"I've finally finished, sir," Regulus explained. "The filing system is complete. I wasn't sure what to do next, to be completely honest."

"Well done, I'm proud of you for sticking through it," Jacks encouraged him as he waved him into a chair on the opposite side of his desk. "I suppose you'd like some direction as to where I'd like to place you in the future."

Regulus nodded and admitted, "I had hoped that I would be able to do something a bit more experiential and a bit less routine."

"Everything takes time, but I think that you have proved your willingness to do hard work even when you do not always enjoy your task," Jacks proclaimed. "I'd be happy to include you on something more experimental. In fact, one of our senior researchers, Richard Thomas, is starting on a new project just now. He's been trying to gather a team of genuinely interested individuals, but has been finding that most of the department is involved in other projects. Let's go see if he can use you."

"Right now?"

"Right now. Come on."

And Jacks was off, leading Regulus through the labyrinth of doors to the other side of the department, where he had yet to venture, to the large office of Richard Thomas, a middle-aged man of African descent who had previously been involved in security projects for the Department of Law Enforcement. Regulus had heard other members of the department mention his name on occasion, but had never laid eyes on the man.

He was pacing the room with a notepad and pencil as they approached. Jacks rapped on the half-open door and Thomas jumped a little as he came out of his reverie, apparently not expecting visitors at that hour of the day.

"All right, Richard?" Jacks asked cautiously. "We didn't mean to startle you."

Thomas stood in the middle of the room with his arms crossed and shook his head. "No, I'm fine, Jacks. Sorry, I was deep in thought about the new project. I'm still processing potential candidates and the amount of work that I need to get done for it."

He seemed to notice Regulus for the first time as he continued.

"Who is this young chap?"

Jacks stepped aside to allow Regulus into the conversation and placed a hand gently on his shoulder. "This is Regulus Black, one of our new, promising members of the department. He joined us in early July, soon after leaving Hogwarts School."

"How do you do, Mr. Black?" Thomas asked, extending his hand in greeting. Regulus shook it firmly, hoping to convey a sense of maturity and not allow Thomas to think of him any less because of his age.

"Very well, thank you, sir," Regulus replied politely.

Thomas motioned toward a table and chairs at the other end of the room and all three of them sat down. He conjured a tea kettle, cups, and a plate of biscuits and poured them each a cup.

Jacks took a sip and then got down to business. "I think that Regulus would make an excellent addition to your team."

"Do you, now?" Thomas commented as he turned to Regulus. "What have you done for the department so far?"

"Well, all I've really done is the new cataloguing system for the spells at the other end of the offices," Regulus said meekly. "But I was at the top of my class for almost all of my subjects, and I received excellent N.E.W.T. marks. I really want to get involved in the experimental aspect of spells. That's why I applied for a job here."

"I'm looking for a team of people who will be devoted to our work, but also secretive. These are spells that will be useful very soon, I am convinced," Thomas explained. "If you feel that you will not be able to give your time and energy to discovering new solutions and methods, or that you have potential conflicts of interest that would keep you from contributing positively to our work, then you should say so right now."

_Conflicts of interest?_

Regulus was sure that Thomas would consider being a Death Eater a "potential conflict of interest," but he could not very well reveal that fact. Coming from a family involved in the Dark Arts was another potential deterring factor. But other than that, Regulus could not think of very many organisations that would disqualify him from working with this man.

And he was not about to let those particular conflicts get in his way.

He cleared his throat and assured his superiors, "I intend to be fully devoted to the work of this department, and I am very sure that I do not have any conflicts of interest that would get in the way. This is something that I have wanted to do for a very long time, and I am interested in doing well and in serving the greater wizarding community."

_Good thing that I can serve the community by spreading these plans to the Dark Lord,_ he thought to himself with delight. He was fulfilling his original mission _and_ his new mission both in the same day without any help from Severus. Surely Lord Voldemort would view his actions favourably and allow him to know about more exciting projects. Perhaps the spells that he developed with Thomas could be used by the Death Eaters in their noble quest for a better future. He could not wait to hear about what the project was.

"What exactly are you working on?" he asked eagerly.

Thomas cleared his throat and explained, "Well, I haven't accepted you definitely yet. I still have to consider several other potentials that have more experience than you do, so please do not feel personally slighted if I do not end up picking you for this position. That said we're working on fusing my experience with law enforcement and charms to create stronger spells for use in battle-type situations."

Regulus felt his pulse race. This was exactly the type of thing that the Dark Lord would want to know about! And _he_ was the one who would get to deliver the information. He was determined: he had to be chosen for this job.

"That's brilliant," he exclaimed. "Do you have any idea of specific spells or fusions of charms that you'll be developing?"

"We're considering charms and spells that have to do with shielding and charming areas to make them more acceptable to our standards," Thomas said cryptically.

Regulus furrowed a brow. "You mean spells that will favour our side in a battle, or that will create maximum security around an object or area?"

Thomas smiled and nodded. "Exactly right. Well done. Perhaps you're smarter than I first thought."

"Do you think you can use him? I think that he has shown a lot of promise and that he could really be an asset to your team," Jacks said sincerely.

"I'm still assembling the team, but I think that there is a good chance that you'll be able to start your career off with this one, Mr. Black," Thomas said. "Do you mind if I take the weekend to think it over? I should be able to post the names of my team members this Monday morning."

Regulus nodded as he replied, "Of course, sir. And please, call me Regulus."

"Regulus. That sounds good to me," Thomas agreed. "Well, Jacks, you've really helped me out. Thanks for the tip."

"Oh, it's my pleasure," Jacks assured him. "We'll leave you now to figure out whatever you were puzzling over when we interrupted you."

Both men stood and shook hands, so Regulus followed suit.

"Thank you for your consideration, sir," he said as he shook Thomas' hand firmly again. "I'll look forward to your response this Monday morning."

"Have a good weekend," Thomas said as he returned the handshake and then seemed to slip back into his thoughts. Regulus followed Jacks' lead out of the room and back toward his office.

"Thanks for working so hard on that catalogue this summer," Jacks said sincerely. "It's been a big help to us all, and you worked so diligently and complained so little. I know that it must have been very time consuming and boring for you, considering the marks that you received from Hogwarts. You're a very hard-working individual and I'm very glad to have you as part of our team."

Regulus replied nonchalantly, "It was no problem, my pleasure. I'm just glad that I have the opportunity to move on to bigger and better things now. Thomas' project sounds incredible. I really hope that I have the opportunity to work with him."

"I am fairly certain that you will," Jacks assured him. "He just doesn't want to give you the job without making you sweat a little. Tell you what. Why don't you take off the rest of today and tomorrow, and then come into the office this Monday ready to tackle your new assignment."

Regulus nodded. "That works for me. Thanks again. It really means a lot to me that you're including me in the experimental aspect of the department."

"You've proven yourself, as far as I'm concerned," Jacks replied. "I feel like I can place more trust in you. I hope that you won't let me down."

"I'll do my best not to," Regulus promised.

"Good, have a wonderful weekend," Jacks said as he extended a hand to Regulus as well. Regulus shook it, nodded his thanks, and returned to his office to pack up for the day.

"How did it go?" Alec asked him expectantly.

"Brilliant!" Regulus nearly yelped. "I'm probably going to get to work with Richard Thomas on his new project!"

"Impressive, very impressive," Alec replied. "I'm really happy for you. Congratulations. I'm sure your parents will be very proud of you. You've really done well for yourself for being under the stress that you have been with your family, Liam, Liam's family, and finishing school. You have some talent, Regulus. I'm glad that you aren't squandering it like so many young people do."

Regulus grinned and started packing up his bag. "Well, I'm off. Jacks gave me the rest of today and tomorrow to rest and get ready for the busy months ahead. I hope you have a good weekend, and I'll see you bright and early Monday morning."

"Cheers, congratulations again," Alec said as Regulus finished packing, donned his cloak, and hurried toward the door. He said goodbye to Lily lightly on the way out and headed for home as quickly as possible, not realizing that he really had no one else to tell his news until he got there.

His flat seemed small and empty for the first time since Liam had left. Liam had been the first person to find out about his job opportunity at the Department of Spells and Charms. It only seemed fit that he should be the next to know about this recent upgrade in status, but he was of course nowhere to be found. He was in Ireland, nursing his wounds over Regulus' supposed betrayal. For a moment Regulus felt angry that Liam had left him there all by himself, but then felt better when he remembered that this raise would make him look better in the eyes of the Dark Lord, which would in turn benefit him when the Dark Lord finally took power and changed the current corrupt government. In the long run, this promotion would benefit Liam, even if he did not know it yet.

He busied himself with a cup of tea and stared at the wall, wondering what he was going to do. Regulus had nowhere to go and nobody to see. He was literally alone. For the first time since Liam left, it registered that there was no one else in the world who would think it odd to receive a random call from Regulus Black. Even his parents would think it out of the ordinary for Regulus to show up a day early for dinner, and he had told Alec that he would not see him again until Monday. It would not do to show up on his doorstep unannounced and uninvited, even if he had been invited in the past. His only other quasi-friend was Lily Potter, and there was no question of whether or not he was able to tell her his news.

The walls of the flat started to seem confining, closing him in from the rest of the world. Regulus usually felt that the flat was a safe haven from the monotony of work and the incessant waiting to do the Dark Lord's bidding, but tonight they felt more like a white-washed cage keeping him away from the rest of the world. Was work all that his life was? It did not matter whether he was doing something for Jacks or for Lord Voldemort – he was doing nothing for himself.

_Except ensuring yourself a better future_, the voice reminded him. He played with the tea cup in his hands, watching it grow colder as the steam ceased rising from the still surface of the liquid. He knew he was doing the right thing, but he wished that he had someone to do it with besides Severus. Severus was not an equal, rather, he was an opponent. He was trying to use Regulus' success to get closer to the Dark Lord, Regulus was sure of it. As soon as he succeeded in his assignment to glean information from Lily and as soon as he reported his success in gaining access to an important project in the Department of Spells and Charms, Severus would take all of the credit.

_But Jacks declined to give Severus the job_, the voice said again. This was true. Somehow, Regulus had managed to beat Severus out of the contest. Jacks trusted him more and he had shown more promise than most students just out of school, Alec had told him that. Regulus had a gift, an affinity for his work. What he was doing was worthwhile, even if it was keeping him from having any sort of life outside of his work. Still, it did not make it any easier to come home to plain white walls.

He finished the now-chilled tea and decided to go to the Leaky Cauldron for dinner. It would be a good idea to maintain appearances in Diagon Alley, especially if he was trying to prove to the world that he was not a Death Eater. It would not do to walk through only when he was heading for the pub down Knockturn Alley. Perhaps he would meet a lovely girl and enjoy conversation with her for a bit, if for no other reason than to take his mind off the fact that he was alone.

Truly, utterly alone.

* * *

The next morning came before he wished it to. The Leaky Cauldron was entertaining and he met some interesting girls, but none of whom had really struck his fancy. Dating had never been one of his strong subjects at school; that was more Sirius' thing. He was not sure he had ever had much of an extended conversation with a girl, other than Lily Potter, and she was married. He had a few light-hearted conversations at the pub and then sat with a group of young wizards to discuss Quidditch teams and upcoming matches. It was nice to have a night to just be a normal, budding wizard making his way in the world. Too soon, it was back to reality. He slept much of Friday away, enjoying the longest stretch of sleep that he had had for a long time. About six o'clock he decided to get ready for dinner with his parents, and arrived at Twelve Grimmauld Place promptly at seven.

Kreacher welcomed him almost-warmly into the house. He was usually civil toward Regulus because he was favoured over Sirius by Mrs. Black, but his loyalties clearly lay with his beloved mistress. Regulus would never have his full admiration, he knew. Still, it was almost a consolation to know that he could be welcomed positively somewhere in the world. He took a seat at the long dining room table, set for three, and reflected on the changes since he had last sat in this room.

What would he say to his parents about the situation with Liam? He still did not know whether or not they would support the Dark Lord publicly, even if they were public about their Pureblood sympathies. Could he reveal his loyalties, or would they be disappointed that he had allowed such sympathies to become known to his Mudblood roommate? It would have been better to have kept Liam close, at least to know what he was doing with his life. As it was, Liam could be building up evidence and an army to oppose Regulus and the Dark Lord, and he would never know because he was daft enough to leave the sketches sitting on his desk because he was drunk.

Kreacher brought a tray bearing a silver goblet filled with a sweet, dark red wine. Regulus took it gladly and gulped it a bit, coughing as it burned the back of his throat. He always forgot that wine could not be consumed as quickly as the lager he favoured at the pubs and had to remind himself to savour the rich taste of the fermented grapes. He stared at the black marble top of the table, wondering when his parents would choose to come down to dinner. Five minutes passed before the door at the opposite end of the room opened to reveal Orion Black, perfectly dressed for the occasion. Regulus rose to honour his father who crossed the room and shook his hand.

"Good evening, son. I'm glad you are able to join me tonight," Mr. Black said somewhat stiffly.

Regulus smiled warmly and replied, "Thank you for the invitation. I have been wondering about you and Mother and how you have been holding up since I left school."

"We've managed. Please, sit down again," Mr. Black said as he motioned to the chairs at the table. "Your mother is unfortunately unable to join us. Apparently Narcissa needed her tonight. She's getting married soon, did you know that? To Lucius Malfoy. She decided that Bellatrix was not the best example of a good wife, and talking to Andromeda was out of the question, so your mother was the next best person to talk to about her woes."

"I'm glad Mother could be of assistance to her, though I have no idea what she might need help for," Regulus admitted with a laugh. "I don't really know much about this whole marriage thing."

Mr. Black laughed and broke the uncomfortable stillness of the room. "Yes, it is still somewhat of a mystery to me as well. I don't know how the women can manage to come up with so many problems in planning for this kind of thing."

He signalled to Kreacher to bring out the first course, a steaming tomato bisque, along with some bread. Dinners at the Black house were always long affairs. Regulus sat forward in the chair to be able to eat more comfortably.

"You know, you might consider thinking about the 'whole marriage thing' yourself," his father said absently between spoonfuls of soup. Regulus nearly choked on his food.

"Me? Father, I just left school."

Mr. Black continued spooning the creamy soup into his mouth, narrowly missing his thick, silver beard when a drop fell from the spoon.

He looked at his son with examining eyes and said, "Regulus, I'm getting old. When I die, my whole estate will be passed on to you, including this house, our country home, and all of my assets. If you've ever considered marrying for anything other than finding a convenient Pureblood match who also has a good deal of money, or sifting through suitors wanting your fortune, I would do it before you inherit. Afterwards it will be your mother in charge and she'll see to it that you get matched with some girl to her liking, which may not be to yours."

Regulus watched the steam rising from the soup for a moment while he considered this new thought. Of course his parents would be concerned with passing on the family fortune, but they had spent years grooming Sirius for that position before the boys had been sent off to school. Regulus had never had Pureblood lineage drilled into his head the way Sirius had, resulting in his running away and subsequent disinheritance. Now they would be looking to him to find a wife and carry on the family line.

_What a headache…_

"I've honestly never thought about it before," Regulus admitted to his father. "I mean, sure, I've thought about girls plenty, but not about marriage, and certainly not about finding someone suitable for carrying on the family line."

"It's just something to consider. I have no idea when you'll really need to pursue this, but I'm just warning you that it may come sooner than you think," Mr. Black said as he finished his soup and motioned for Kreacher to bring out another course.

Regulus leaned back and allowed his half-eaten soup to be taken away and replaced by a plate holding beef Wellington, boiled potatoes, and buttered sprouts. He reached for another piece of bread and slathered it with butter. Marriage? He had too many other things to worry about, and he was eighteen years old. Maybe that was all right for Lily and James, or for Narcissa and Lucius, but marriage right then was not exactly high on his priority list.

"How is your job going?" Mr. Black asked as he cut into his beef.

"Wonderfully well, actually," Regulus replied eagerly, glad for the change of subject. "I finally finished work on a cataloguing project they've had me on since July and my supervisor, Tobias Jackson, introduced me to a man named Richard Thomas who has done a lot of work on defensive and offensive spells. I don't really know yet what his new project is going to be, but he's considering me for the team. They said that they would let me know on Monday morning whether or not I've been selected."

Mr. Black nodded his approval. "Well done. I'm pleased to hear it. How is your mate, Liam?"

Regulus had been waiting for that question, and trying to think of a good response, besides telling the absolute truth. He sliced into his beef as well and watched his father chew for a moment before he responded.

"Liam decided that he wanted to return to Ireland. He missed his family a lot," he informed his father. "We had several differences of opinion as well."

"What, regarding his parentage?" Mr. Black questioned nonchalantly.

Regulus nodded slightly. "I guess that was part of it. I still think that he is a very skilled wizard and should be considered as fit as any to do his work, but he felt that society was becoming too hostile toward him, and he was afraid for his family."

Mr. Black furrowed his bushy eyebrows and probed, "Why was he afraid for his family? They're in Western Ireland. Their only connection to the wizarding world is through their son, and he was not very prominent in wizarding society. It's not like Lord Voldemort is going to be knocking down their door looking to torture them for their son's whereabouts."

"Well, his sister Aislinn was wounded in Diagon Alley last month," Regulus explained. "And Liam has been more involved in some kind of Society for Blood Equality. It's this organization that he's been going to meetings with since mid-July. He's been working at Flourish and Blotts to make money."

"No plan for his life, I imagine," Mr. Black said as he shook his head. "He's a nice enough boy, but far too idealistic for my tastes. He'd do better to look after himself than to look after others. How did he end up in Slytherin anyway?"

Regulus shrugged. "Wouldn't we all like to know? He's very ambitious, Liam is, just not in the same ways we are. What do you think about Lord Voldemort, Father?"

"What do I think of him?" Mr. Black returned, voice raised an octave, staring at Regulus and forgetting his plate for the first time. "What do you mean, what do I think of him?"

"Do you think he's brilliant, or mad, or a raving lunatic, or whatever? Do you think he makes a good leader? Do you agree with his politics?" Regulus inquired, somewhat alarmed at how the questions tumbled out of his mouth.

"I suppose that I agree with him," Mr. Black answered cautiously. "I'm glad that someone is purporting the Pureblood agenda and reminding everyone of true wizardry, but I think that he needs to gain more support before he can act. It would be a mistake for him to attempt to do anything major this soon."

"What do you mean by true wizardry?"

"Well, only those who are Pureblood wizards are really able to practice magic in its purest form. You know that," Mr. Black replied as if he was explaining the term to an eight-year-old Regulus and not an eighteen-year-old one. He turned back to his plate and started cutting small pieces of meat again.

"And you like the Dark Lord because he agrees with that? What about his agenda to reform government?" Regulus did not want to leave the conversation without getting a better idea of where his father stood.

Mr. Black set his knife and fork back down on his plate again and wiped his mouth with a napkin before responding.

"I'm glad that someone is taking the initiative to do something about the government because it's starting to get ridiculous," he admitted. "They never get anything done. I was surprised that you decided to work for the Ministry. It's honestly just a big pile of rubbish."

"I agree that it's a pile of rubbish," Regulus said. "But I thought that maybe being a part of it would help a little. Jacks and Camden run my department like a bloody naval ship; I think it just depends on who is in charge. I think that the Dark Lord might be a good candidate for someone to be in charge."

Mr. Black regarded him for a moment before asking, "Do you really? Well, that's interesting. I would have thought you would be entirely contrary to his agenda, seeing as your best mate is a Muggleborn wizard from Doolin, Ireland, Slytherin house aside."

"I could never forget the things that you've taught me, Father," Regulus said matter-of-factly. "I want to be on the right side if the time does come for war."

"Well, don't be daft," Mr. Black said as he finished his meal. "Staying on the right side means not being committed to either one. Be careful with your alliances. That's all I'll advise."

He motioned for Kreacher to take the plates and sat back in his chair, looking somewhat tired and ragged.

"Are you all right, Father?" Regulus asked, concerned.

"Yes, I think so," Mr. Black replied. "I'm doing my best not to let your mother know, but I do think that your thinking of your extended future would probably be a good idea. I've asked the kitchen not to make dessert, if that's all right with you."

"Of course, Father," Regulus said softly. "Thank you for having me here tonight. It was good talking to you."

Mr. Black smiled. "It was good talking to you, too. Do keep in mind your safety. I've not come out and supported the Dark Lord openly because I do not yet know what that would mean for the future of our family. Make safe decisions; don't throw your lot in entirely with him."

"And if I do?" Regulus held his breath.

"I'd support you," Mr. Black admitted. "Have a good night, son. Be safe as you travel back to your flat."

Regulus exhaled silently, bade him goodnight, and finished his goblet of wine in silence. His father would support him if he knew what he was doing. His father was proud of what he had done at work. His father would be proud if he knew what he was doing for the cause.

His father was proud of him. Not of what he might do, not because he was different from Sirius. His father was actually proud of what he had done and of what he was doing. He was not alone after all.

* * *

Liam stretched in the backseat of the car, attempting to remember how long the drive was to Ballyvaughan. While his family lived in Doolin, as they had for several generations, his father's business was based in the larger port at Ballyvaughan. The pier at Doolin was not sufficient enough to handle the larger vessels, and Michael Merric had decided that it was worth the drive to be able to have a larger fleet. He did most of his work at home anyway, since becoming the owner of the company after his own father's death some ten years prior to that chill, early, late-September morning. Silas was in charge of the routine business at the docks, but every once in a while Michael decided to drive up with his son to work on maintenance and check on the status of each vessel. Liam's return home, in his mind, merited such a visit.

Michael had always told Liam that the best time to be out on the water was at sunrise, and he took his own advice very seriously. He roused his youngest son at five in the morning, as promised, made Liam a breakfast of eggs, toast, and sausage, and deposited him in the backseat of the car where he quickly fell asleep once again, despite the short hour-long drive between the two locations. Liam woke to the soft voices of his father and brother just as the sun began to creep over the horizon, ten minutes outside of Ballyvaughan. He saw the tall masts spotting the surface of the water in the distance, blocked occasionally by large trees covered with leaves beginning to change their colours from vibrant green to reds, yellows, and oranges.

The sea crashed against the rocks on the shore and he watched the white spray scatter and wet the surrounding sand. It felt so good to be home where he belonged with the people he loved the most. Liam breathed a deep sigh of contentment and sat up a little straighter so that Silas and Michael would see that he was awake.

"Good morning, baby brother," Silas joked as he saw Liam's stretching arms in the rear-view mirror. "Sleep well?"

"Hiya, Silas. Yeah, I reckon so," Liam said sleepily. "We're almost there?"

Silas turned around to respond, "Yeah, we're nearly there. I decided to let Pa drive since he doesn't usually get a chance to go up this way. Are you ready to be put to work? I have a nice list of things to do today."

"I think I can remember how to be useful," Liam assured him with a laugh. "What boat are we working on?"

"The _Constellation_," Michael called from the driver's seat.

"Your boat? We're not working on one of the large cargo ships?"

Silas shook his head and explained, "Not today. We figured we'd start you on the brigantine to get you used to the process again. Pa hasn't been getting up to Ballyvaughan as much as he should and he's let the upkeep slip a bit. I have a new sail plan drawn up and we need to do general cleaning, maybe replace a few lines. It's also something that the three of us can do together, without wandering eyes and ears."

"Ah, yeah, I understand completely," Liam replied. "Sounds like we'll be busy for most of the day. Good thing Ma packed us some lunches last night."

Liam thought back on the past few weeks as Michael drove through the streets of Ballyvaughan, chequered with colourful houses, various shops, and residents on their way to work. It was a good thing that he had been able to bring Aislinn home and explain about the blood inequality situation previously, but it had still been very hard to explain what had happened with Regulus. None of them would believe him at first, and it was hard to admit that he still did not believe it himself, but by and by they came to accept what had happened and tried to get on living as normally as possible. It had been hardest for him to explain to Aislinn because she kept insisting that there had to be a good reason for Regulus to have done what he did. Deep down, he knew that he agreed with her, but he still could not come up with a proper solution for the problem.

And it was easier to just forget about it.

They pulled into the shipyard and he thought fondly about his father's restored brigantine, _Constellation_. Michael renamed the old cargo boat in honour of the stars that had been crucial to navigation at the time of its maiden voyage in the late nineteenth century. He had a soft spot for buying and restoring old boats to their former glory, and the _Constellation_ was his pride and joy. He had bought it when Liam was five years old and Liam had learned the basics of sailing and rigging on its decks and spars. The larger ships needed ten to fifteen people to get any significant amount of work done on them, but it was possible, though a bit more challenging, for only three people to complete Silas' upkeep plan for the _Constellation_ in one day. Liam looked it over as Michael and Silas readied a small rowboat to launch from the shore out to the buoy the _Constellation_ was tied to. Though it was too small to be a full sailing ship, the brigantine was too large to be kept tied to the dock at all times or to sit at dry dock. It was more practical to leave it anchored to a buoy in the bay.

Liam helped load the equipment and the lunches in the rowboat and switched off rowing with Silas on the way out to the boat while Michael mentally looked over the plan himself and started making a list of who would do what and in which order.

"Right. Liam, I'll have you wash up the decks to start with while Silas and I check the lines and see which ones we have to replace. The sails, I think, are all okay, but I'm afraid that some of the lines may be too worn. I won't know until we get there, really, so be ready to sort through some of the new lines when you're done," he said as he stroked his white and silver beard. "We'll probably break for lunch after that and then do some painting in the afternoon."

"What about Silas' new sail plan?" Liam asked through heavy breaths as he took his turn at the oars.

"We'll only use it if we need it," Silas answered. "I'd rather not have to replace every line and sail if we don't have to. Almost there, now. I'll give it a final go. Can you handle attaching the lines to the deck?"

Liam nodded in affirmation and switched with his older brother one last time. He sat in the bow ready to jump to the much larger _Constellation_ as soon as they were close enough and tie it securely to the side. He counted down as the black hull drew closer and then sprang at just the right moment, anchoring the line under a metal shackle to hold it fast so that he would not have to support the boat with his body weight, and likely get pulled into the water. Michael threw him a line from the stern and he secured the boat from the aft as well, turning then to help with the cargo.

After everything was on board, he filled a pail with soapy water and began drawing a large mop back and forth across the decks, thankful that he was only on a boat with two masts rather than a ship with three or more. It would have taken him hours the other way around. Silas and Michael dodged him as they walked around checking each line for wear and marking the ones that would have to be replaced. The _Constellation_ had a square-rigged foremast, a fore-and-aft-rigged mainmast, and a bowsprit extending outward from the bow. Though sails made from modern, manufactured materials were available, Michael preferred to use traditional canvas sails on his own boat. He also preferred attaching sails to wooden spars instead of steel or aluminium ones, though he did compromise with steel cable for his standing rigging that was rarely changed.

"It looks like all of the standing rigging is set, but we'll need to replace some of the running rigging. The sails all look good. Do you want to climb up to the yard on the foremast and help replace some of the lines up there? I figured you'd prefer being up to being down on the deck," Silas told him a while later, when he was almost done with the deck.

Liam stood and stretched his back as he said, "Yeah, I can do that. Do we need to replace anything on the mainmast?"

Silas shook his head. "No, those lines all look stable. Pa is working on some of the lines along the boom of the mainmast. We'll all finish in time for a late lunch. Ready to go on up there?"

Liam nodded and pitched his pail of soapy, dirty water over the side of the boat. He followed Silas to the bow and scaled the foremast quickly, getting up to the yard in no time. He wrapped his legs around it to stabilize himself and waited for Silas to show him which line to release first. They started working in harmony, Liam catching on again very quickly. They worked in silence for ten minutes or so before Silas started talking again.

"So, do you think you'll be home long? Are you keeping up with what's going on back in England?" he asked carefully while preparing the next line to throw up to Liam.

Liam swung his legs a little and looked out over the bay while thinking of a response.

"I really don't know. I love being here. I miss all of you so much when I'm gone, and it's great being able to see Clare growing up," he began. "I'm just worried that I'm putting all of you in danger by being here. If I went back, I might be able to keep you safe."

"That's rubbish, and you know it," Silas retorted. "It's not like you're a major target for this Voldemort person."

"You don't know that," Liam objected. "No one has any idea what he's planning. That's why he's so dangerous. But the whole government and society is committed to believing that he will never do anything rash or destructive, and that's bloody ridiculous. I just can't seem to get anyone to agree with me."

Silas tossed the line and Liam caught it deftly. He started passing it through the metal block to hoist it upwards where he was unable to climb.

Silas encouraged him lightly, "You can't change everything, Liam, just what you can touch right in front of you. I know that you want to be able to reform this entire society that you love being a part of and which I'll never understand, but you may not be able to do that, and that's something that you'll have to learn to accept."

Liam grunted an affirmation as he continued using the pulley system.

"We can really use you here," Silas pointed out. "I mean, I don't know if there are any spells or anything for keeping boats in order, but if there are, hell, I can put you to work on all sorts of things."

Liam laughed and said, "Well, there aren't any sailing specific ones that I know of, but there are plenty that I could adapt for this kind of work. I just prefer to do it with my hands, you know? The way I learned it. I would feel like I was cheating if I tried to do it any other way."

"Yeah, I can see that. But that doesn't mean you can't do it every once in a while," Silas replied. "Honestly, I don't think you're putting us in more danger by being here. I know that we don't know of anyone else in the area who is a wizard. I think having you here makes us safer because if the Death Eaters come here, you can fight. You're the only one who would be able to stand up to them."

Liam finished rigging the line and shimmied along the yard to the next one to prepare it for replacement. He thought carefully about his response while he worked.

"That's definitely true. If they came while I wasn't here because I was working against them over there, I would feel awful," he admitted. "But I still feel like staying here would be totally giving up on a big part of my life. I don't know what to do with myself anymore, Silas. I can't be who I really am here, but I can't be who I really am there either. I'm literally stuck between two worlds and I can't figure how to mesh them together."

"I have a feeling you'll figure it out someday. You won't be here forever," Silas assured him. "Who knows, maybe little Clare will turn out to be a wizard, too."

Liam laughed and corrected him, "She'd be a witch, not a wizard."

"Dear me, a witch in the family. What would Ma say?" Silas joked. "Well, she seems fairly normal to me."

"Are you calling me abnormal?" Liam asked in mock exasperation. "I'm deeply hurt by that, big brother."

"Well, one of us has to be mad, and I'd prefer it to be you over me," Silas shot back. "Nah, you know I think that it's brilliant what you can do. Sometimes I find myself wishing that I could do it alongside you."

Liam sighed and said, "That would be great, but I wouldn't wish this burden upon you. It's not an easy one to bear."

They finished rigging the lines in silence until Michael called them aft for lunch. He passed each of them a corned beef sandwich and an apple, and then bit into his own. Liam reclined on the deck and listened to Michael and Silas discuss business, the various ships in their fleet, and family life. He joked some more with Silas and listened to his father tell him stories about what Tara was up to at her university and how he had taught Clare how to tie some simple knots over the weekend.

Maybe this life was not the one that he thought he had been heading for throughout school, but it was not a bad one. He was guaranteed a job in his family's vibrant business and time with his family. He was where he had grown up and where he had hoped to settle down again one day, it was just sooner than what he had been planning. But perhaps a little change was exactly what he needed.

Or perhaps he was just putting off facing reality and living in a fantasy world.

* * *

_Author's Note:_

_Thanks to my betas: Arnel, Cygnus, and Felicia. Y'all are wonderful! But thanks especially to Cygnus for helping the Constellation get afloat._

_Some boating terms from Wikipedia:_

_Sail Plan: __ wiki/Sail-plan_

_Rigging:  wiki/Rigging _

_Also, a website that includes pictures of the type of boat I am envisioning for Michael. These are boats that run out of Camden Harbour in Maine, near where some of my family live and one of my favourite places in the world. The Constellation is modelled loosely on the Grace Bailey:  .  _


	8. Chapter 8

**Heart of Gold**

**Chapter 8**

**By American Wings**

* * *

Regulus made sure that he arrived at work earlier than usual Monday morning. He wanted to know as soon as possible whether or not he had the job, and there was not a minute to spare. This job could mean the jump start of both his career in the Ministry of Magic and in the service of the Dark Lord. He did not want it to pass by without his taking full advantage of it. He bounded through the office doors with a bounce in his step and walked over to Lily's desk.

"Good morning!" he said brightly and she looked up in surprise.

"Someone is a bit cheerful," she said with a smile. "Did you have a good weekend? Meet any nice girls at a pub?"

He laughed and explained, "Well, yeah, I had a good weekend I suppose, though I didn't meet any girls. Funny, my father has been pestering me about that, too. We had dinner on Friday night. But, I'm just really looking forward to today. I finished the cataloguing system last week so I know that I'll be moving on to a new project."

She brightened and exclaimed, "Congratulations! Why didn't you tell me last week?"

He shrugged. "Too excited, I suppose. I wanted to get out of the office as soon as possible. Anyway, Jacks said he was going to try to put me on something more experimental, so I'm really excited to see what it is."

"I'm so happy for you," Lily said sincerely. "I really hope it all goes well."

"How are things going with your house hunt?" he asked. "Did you lot go check out the Potter house?"

She nodded. "We did. We're considering it, like I said before, but there are several other places that we're considering as well. There's a lot to think about when you're starting a life together, and that's really what we feel like we're doing. We're going to live in the place where we'll spend the rest of our lives."

"Well, that seems like an awfully long time," Regulus admitted. "I don't really think about the rest of my life very often. I have a hard enough time trying to plan what's going to happen next week."

"You've also just left school," she pointed out. "Once you've been out for a little while, you'll get that same feeling. You'll start getting older, you won't be a teenager anymore, and then you'll start feeling like the rest of your life can't come soon enough."

He was a silent for a moment, thinking about what she had said, before he realized that she was waiting for a response.

He smiled and answered, "That's a lot to think about, Lily. You always make me think about things. Why do you do that?"

"Oh, that's pretty much my goal in life," she joked. "To get people to think. You'd be surprised at how easy, and how much fun, it can be. I do it to James, Sirius, Remus, and Peter all the time. Sometimes it drives Sirius up the wall."

Regulus laughed shortly. "Yeah, I bet it does. Well, I'm going to go to my desk. I'll catch up with you later."

"Hope your day goes well, and hope your next project is exactly what you want for yourself," she said before she turned back to her work.

Regulus had half been expecting to have his acceptance letter waiting on his desk when he arrived, but there was nothing there. It looked exactly as it had when he left it late Thursday afternoon. He sighed inwardly and sat staring at the same walls he had looked at all summer while he was cataloguing spells. Not even Alec had arrived yet, so he had no one and nothing to occupy his time.

The thought had come too soon. Alec swept into the room a minute later, panting a little.

"Morning, Regulus," he gasped, voice full of air.

"Alec, hi," Regulus replied. "What's going on? Why are you so out of breath?"

Alec sat for a moment and collected himself before he responded.

"There was some Death Eater activity near my house. I had to get Anna and the little ones out and safe before I left for work. They're staying with some friends down the road, but I'm still trying to process what just happened," he explained, eyes glazed and staring into nowhere.

Regulus felt his heart sink and his breath catch as he saw the fear written across Alec's face.

"Well, I'm sure they're all right," he said in an attempt to comfort him. "I'm sure that they weren't coming after _you_, I mean, what would You-Know-Who want with your family?"

Alec sighed and looked down at his hands. "Anna isn't a witch, and neither of our children has ever shown any sign of magical ability. I'm worried that we'll be targeted simply because I didn't stay within the confines of the wizarding community when I chose a wife. She was a girl that I grew up with, family friend, you know? I love her, Regulus, she's my life, but _he_ could never understand that."

Regulus put a hand on Alec's shoulder and consoled him, "I'm sure everything is fine at your house, and I'm sure that Anna and your children are safe. I'm sure that whoever was causing a disturbance was only trying to play a sick joke because they were bored. I doubt that there was any massive attempt on your life just because you married a Muggle."

"I'm half-blood, too," Alec insisted. "And my job here exposes me to highly sensitive material. He would have every reason to come after me, if he knew all of that."

"Not if he had someone on the inside that had more access to those kinds of things than you do," Regulus said without thinking. It was all he could do to not look horrified at himself after he realized what he had said.

Alec looked at him curiously. "Do you think there is someone in the department, or higher up in the chain of command, who is working for You-Know-Who? Do you suspect someone who might have access to personnel files and the like and who might be delivering those kinds of things to him?"

"No, of course not," Regulus said quickly, trying to maintain the volume of his voice and appear collected. "I mean, if that's really the kind of thing that he's looking for, well, it would be a good idea. But I have no reason to expect anyone in this department or in the Ministry with that kind of activity. Really, who do you think it would be? I can't think of anyone here who would do a thing like that."

Alec shook his head helplessly. "I don't know. I don't even know what to do anymore. All I want to do is live my life, do my job, love my wife, and take care of our kids. I know that there is a lot more that could be done to improve our government, but honestly, it's not much better than Muggle government. And this man, I don't even know if I can call him a man, this _being_ is threatening all of that. I want to be able to stand up against him, but I don't want to put my family in danger."

He stared down at his hands again and shook his head.

"I'm going to go to the loo and wash up. Have you heard from Thomas yet?" Alec asked.

"Not yet, but I should sometime this morning," Regulus insisted. "Go catch your breath and calm yourself down. I'm sure Anna will take the children to the park or a museum. She'll find something to keep them amused."

Alec nodded and walked out of the room, leaving Regulus alone with his thoughts again. Had the Dark Lord targeted Alec's family? Regulus had never once said anything to Severus about Alec. Did the Dark Lord know that Alec was one of Regulus' co-workers? In all likelihood, he admitted to himself. The Dark Lord seemed to know everything and everyone. It seemed like his spies were all around at all times. Would he be angry to know that Regulus had never said anything about Alec if Alec was a target?

But why would the Dark Lord target Alec Kingston anyway? Sure, he had access to important files, but it wasn't like he really paid much attention when he was reading them. He only checked to make sure that the witches and wizards weren't breaking the law. There really was no reason that Alec was so important to the Dark Lord's mission that he be attacked.

Unless he was actually committed to eradicating anyone who wasn't a Pureblood.

Regulus pushed the thought from his mind and tried to look for something else in the room to distract him, but found nothing since he still had no idea what his new assignment was going to be. He decided to rearrange his desk to keep his mind off of the morning's happenings and had just begun organizing his ink wells when Jacks came into the room.

"Good morning, Regulus. Ready to get started on something new?" he asked, full of energy as always.

Regulus spun around in his chair and nodded eagerly. "Yeah, definitely. What do you have for me?"

Jacks smiled and said, "First off, you'll be pleased to know that Richard accepted you as a member of his team. Congratulations."

Joy filled Regulus' body at this news. He was going to get to do experimental work for the department! He was going to get to work with one of the most accomplished wizards involved in spell and charm creation and adaptation, and he was going to do work in a field that he was interested in. Could it get any better than that?

"That's brilliant. I … I really don't know what else to say besides that," Regulus stammered. "What do I do now?"

"Well, the names of the entire team are listed on a bulletin board out in the hall, right by the staff room. I think you'll notice some familiar ones, so that should make you very happy," Jacks explained. "The first team meeting will be this morning at half-past ten, so that gives you a little while to get ready for it. Be prepared to offer ideas and participate fully from the very beginning. This may be your first major assignment, but you're still expected to be as involved as any of the other witches and wizards who have been here longer than you have.

"I know that you'll do a good job, and I have every confidence that you'll contribute just as much to this project as anyone else on the team. See you later then?"

"Yeah, I'll see you later. Thanks so much again," Regulus said gratefully. He shook Jacks' hand and sat back in his chair, soaking in the feeling. He was going to contribute to something special that would benefit all kinds of people, and he was going to get more credibility in the eyes of the department and in the eyes of the Dark Lord. It was all of his dreams rolled into one package, and he could barely contain his energy.

He bounded over to the bulletin board and read through the list of names, stopping suddenly at one toward the middle: Lily Potter.

"Lily?" he whispered softly to himself. Lily had applied for this job? But she was just the secretary. She had charms and spellwork ability? Why hadn't she applied for this kind of job previously? But more importantly, why hadn't she told him that she was applying?

He did not recognize most of the other names, with the exceptions of Richard Thomas and Tobias Jackson. A few he thought he had known while at school, but he could not be sure. He would have to wait for the meeting to find out. He strolled by Lily's desk on purpose to see if he could grill her about her involvement in the project, but she was nowhere to be found. Disappointed, he returned to his own desk and gathered together some parchment and quills to take to the meeting. Alec still had not returned from the loo, though he suspected that he may have gone to talk to Camden about the morning's events. The time passed quickly and soon he was off to Room 207 for the first meeting of the Spell Defence Team.

The room was already filled with half a dozen witches and wizards, including Thomas and Jacks. There were eight people on the team including him, so the only person still missing was Lily. He found a chair and scanned the room, assessing the ages of each person there. Besides Jacks and Thomas, there were three more men and a woman. The woman looked like she was in her late thirties, as did one of the men, while another man looked to be around Jacks' age and the third looked closer to Regulus' and Lily's ages, but not quite as young. Lily hurried into the room at one minute to ten thirty and took a seat across from Regulus, not looking him in the eye. Thomas gave her a smile and a nod before calling the meeting to order.

"Thank you all for being here so promptly. I can tell already that we're going to work well together," he began. "Some of you may not know the two youngest members of our team, so let me introduce them to you now. You've probably seen or said hello to Lily here at least once, as she's worked as Malinda Camden's secretary for the past year and a half or so. Lily showed a lot of promise for spell and charms work while at Hogwarts, and we knew that when she came in, but before now she had not taken much interest in applying for an experimental job. We're very pleased that she's taken an interest in this project."

Lily smiled at everyone and greeted them with a meek, "Hi, I'm really happy to be here."

Thomas gestured to Regulus next. "And this is Regulus Black, a recent addition to the department. He's responsible for the excellent spell catalogue that we've all been using at the back of the offices. He spent the entire summer and most of this month working on it, so take a look if you haven't yet. He left school in June and had some of the highest marks in his class. We're very glad that he took an interest in our department and especially in experimental work from the beginning, so I hope you'll welcome him warmly."

Regulus nodded a hello as well and waited while they all turned back to Thomas.

"Regulus and Lily, you'll catch on to everyone else's names pretty soon but I'll introduce them quickly just so you know who they are. This man to my left…" he gestured to the older man. "…is Oliver Prewett, formerly involved with Jacks in law enforcement and a specialist on defensive spells. The man next to him is James Finch, a spell creator who has worked in this department since he left school as well. The lovely lady next to him is Hestia Jones, also a spell creator with a particular interest in espionage. Finally, the young man between Lily and Jacks is Frank Longbottom, representing the Auror division. He's going to guide us on the kinds of spells and charms they are in need of for their work.

"Well, I've been doing a lot of talking," he noted. "I was hoping to have some discussion on the kinds of things we're looking for. Let's start with Frank."

The young man with blonde hair nodded his thanks and then looked around at everyone else.

"I'm really excited to be a part of this. It will be a welcome change from feeling like a sitting duck trying to figure out what might go wrong next," he said sincerely. "In all honesty, I feel like we're going to be at war soon, and I'm not the only one. The Aurors have been called to battle dark magic much more often in recent months, since the late July attack on Diagon Alley. Just this morning we had to go out to High Wycombe to ward off a couple of Death Eaters who were terrorizing a Muggle neighbourhood.

"I'm not sure if there is a way that I can really describe the gravity of this situation effectively. It's important that each and every one of you be on your guard and ready to face whatever comes your way, be it a Death Eater trying to attack you or someone outside of our team trying to glean information. You-Know-Who will do anything to get a hold of our plans, and we have to be ready for him."

Hestia broke in, "So you're saying that we need to be coming up with various ideas to protect both Muggle and wizarding communities, as well as ways to help our Aurors and other law enforcement fight back?"

"That's exactly what I'm saying," Frank agreed with a nod. "There's nothing really specific that I have in mind, but that's where your brilliant minds come in. I'm more of a consultant to say whether or not what you think of will meet our needs. I may be young, but in the past six years I've seen more than I thought I would see in a lifetime. I want to create a world that's safe for my family, and I think that our work will aid in doing just that."

"Thanks for your input, Frank. We'll definitely take it to heart while we're thinking of answers," Jacks stressed. "Other thoughts? Oliver?"

"Well, I definitely concur with Frank, though I've been out of the field and haven't seen as much as he has lately," Oliver said in a thick, Midlands accent. "But I remember fighting Grindelwald and I have some ideas for maybe a stronger shielding spell that could be cast among a few people rather than just covering one. I think that it's something the newest team members could work on, but I don't have my notes on it with me at the moment."

Thomas assured him, "That's fine; this is just to get ideas. I'm glad that you've been thinking of things that we can work on. Put it together in written form and we'll take a look at it over the next couple weeks."

"What can Regulus and I be doing to help out, since neither of us has really worked in law enforcement of any kind nor have we ever really worked on spell creation?" Lily asked carefully. Regulus had been wondering the same thing, but he just had not wanted to be the one to voice the question.

"Just listen and think for now," Jacks told her. "We don't expect you to be coming up with all sorts of brilliant ideas right off the bat, but we do expect you to take in what is being discussed and to think of ways to make it happen and make it better."

"Are we going to create new spells or find ways to improve old ones?" Regulus asked.

Thomas fielded the question. "Hopefully, a little bit of both. You know the Shielding pell, I'm sure. Well, I'm hoping that with Oliver's notes we'll be able to create an auxiliary spell that would be a stronger version that multiple people might be able to use to create a secure area by meshing their shields together."

"Do you think you'd be able to create that kind of spell to have the same effect over an area?" Regulus asked curiously.

"Probably," Oliver answered. "I don't see why not. We'd have to work on it, though. That's a good idea, Regulus. I can see that you are going to be a great addition, as will you, dear." He turned to Lily and gave her a smile. Lily blushed.

"I'll do my best. This is all so fascinating to me," she said.

"Lily is just being modest," Jacks insisted. "She's a very powerful witch. You'll see her skills soon enough, I'm sure. James, do you have anything to add?"

James had been sitting back and absorbing everything quietly. He leaned forward and rested his chin in one of his hands.

"I think that these are all great ideas and I'm really annoyed that I didn't come up with them myself," he said with a laugh. "Seeing as I'm supposed to be the resident spell creation expert. But that's all right; I'll put my two Knuts in soon enough. I really like Regulus' and Oliver's ideas. Those are definitely possible. We'll just have to take some time and thought to work on them. I'm really excited to see what this team can do together."

Thomas nodded his agreement and took charge again. "Brilliant, I'm glad to see that this team is going to work out. I was quite positive that everyone would get on fairly well, but you've all exceeded my expectations. Well done. I wish we could sit down and really start working on these ideas, but I think everyone should take some time to think them over and come back with some practical possibilities.

"Lily and Regulus, I know that you've never worked on spells before so please don't feel bad if the creation aspect does not come easily to you at first. It will come in time. Take to heart the things that you've heard here today and on previous occasions about spell creation and maybe look over some of your notes from school."

"If you need any help, I'd be glad to talk through ideas with you," James offered.

"Thanks, I'll keep that in mind," Regulus answered. Lily nodded her agreement as well.

"Great, I'm glad that we're all on the same page. I'll keep you each updated on our next meeting. Just about time for lunch, so I'll let you lot go for now," Thomas ended. "I hope you all have a great day."

Regulus turned to say something to Lily before she left, but she got up quickly and left the room. Determined, he gathered his things together and pursued her through the hallways, grabbing her elbow lightly and turning her around.

"So how come you didn't mention this to me, eh?" he asked her, crossing his arms. "I mean, I thought we were becoming best mates, and then you don't tell me that you're applying for a research job? Shame, Lily."

She opened her mouth to protest but then seemed to notice the slight grin on his face and shook her head as she narrowed her eyes at him.

"You git. I have as much right as you do to apply for this job. It's something that I can do while I'm sitting here bored anyway," she pointed out. "I'm really quite brilliant, you know."

"Well, don't get cocky or anything," he cajoled with a laugh. "I guess I never really bothered to look up your marks from Hogwarts, and I didn't know you then. I'm sorry for being surprised that you were on the list."

Lily waved his comment away. "It's nothing. You can't really have been expected to know. But why didn't _you_ say that you were applying for this job? You could have told me about it this morning, or last week, but you didn't. I think I should be the one deeply hurt by the situation."

"Aww, well, I didn't know if I was going to get it, see?" he insisted. "I didn't really want to get my hopes up so high that I was telling everyone about the great job before I even got it. I don't know what I would have done had I decided to do that and then not have gotten the job."

"Well, you have now. Are you ready to contribute and pull your weight?" she teased.

"I think I can manage," he said lazily. "But what about you, Miss Secretary Extraordinaire?"

Lily laughed and assured him, "I think I can handle it. You really should consider using your charm on girls without husbands."

"Yeah, right, my charm," Regulus quipped. "More like lack thereof."

"Well, true, you were a bit rusty at first. But I think you're really getting better at it now," she said sincerely. "James and I are meeting Sirius, Peter, and Remus at a pub in Bloomsbury later tonight. Why don't you join us?"

Regulus sighed and gave her what he hoped was a gentle, but firm look.

"Lily, you know that would be a bad idea. Sirius and I aren't ready to be in that type of situation, and it could jeopardise my future. I can't do that," he said resolutely. "I'm trying to think of how I can explain this better. We just can't."

She looked sad and said softly, "Well, I'm not giving up. This whole thing is just stupid. I don't understand why families can't just make up and live together in peace, even if they have differences of opinion and different personalities."

"I don't expect you to understand, you don't have the question of your life inheritance burning at your back," he noted with a shrug. "If I have the opportunity, I might do it one day. Maybe I'll even let you be in on the planning. How does that sound?"

She examined him for a moment and then urged him, "Don't wait too long."

"What is it with everybody lately and Doomsday messages?" he grumbled. "You, Frank, Alec, my father – everyone seems so concerned with making sure I get the right thing done before it's too late."

"Perhaps it's a warning sign to you. Maybe there's something that you need to be changing and if you don't do it soon, it'll be too late," Lily suggested.

"I don't know. I feel like everything I'm doing right now is so perfect, so right. Everything seems to be going well. I can't think of anything that I shouldn't be doing," Regulus replied, ignoring the annoying little voice in the back of his head that reminded him of Liam from time to time.

"I can't tell you what it is you're supposed to be doing," she reminded him. "That's for you to figure it out. All I can do is urge you to figure it out quickly. Well, I need to get back to work. If you do want to stop by tonight, please do. We'll be in Bloomsbury, like I said. Not near where your parents live at all. There's a little pub off of Bloomsbury Road near the intersection with Shaftsbury. You can't miss it."

"You're really into central London, aren't you? Last time it was Covent Garden, this time it's just a few streets over," he noted.

"Well, it's near where James and I live," Lily explained. "We tend to stick around there. It's a good place to be because it's in the middle of everything and there are lots of Muggle universities in the area, so lots of people our age. However, it is quite expensive because it's in central London. But I've found some of my favourite places to eat there."

He decided to indulge her and said, "All right, I'll think about it. Have a great day, Lily."

"You too," she said with a smile.

* * *

Regulus was looking over some of Thomas' past research that he had found in the department library when he heard a knock at his flat door. Curious at who would be calling upon him at home, he walked over and opened the door cautiously.

"Good evening, may I come in?" Severus asked as soon as he was visible.

Regulus kept one hand on the door and leaned on the doorframe. "Well, yeah, I guess. What brings you here?" He stepped back to let Severus in and motioned at the table and chairs in the small kitchen and living room of the flat.

"I'm here to congratulate you on your work," Severus said simply as he took a seat. "The Dark Lord is pleased at your job promotion."

Regulus froze as he turned around to close the front door and felt his face flushing.

"How does the Dark Lord know already?" he asked incredulously, waiting for his face to cool so that he could turn around again. "I mean, I was going to tell him, of course, but I wasn't sure how to go about sending him a message directly."

He turned around to see Severus leaning back in the chair at the head of the table, resting an elbow on its surface. "You know the Dark Lord has many followers. Besides, he's not angry with you. He's very pleased that you were able to gain access to this project. Well done."

Regulus beamed and stammered through a response, "Uh, th-thanks! Thanks so much. Yeah, I'm rather pleased about it myself. And pleased to offer the Dark Lord my service in doing this work, naturally."

"Naturally," Severus agreed. "I'd like to get a report from you on your various assignments, but firstly I was to tell you about the Dark Lord's pleasure and invite you to a special meeting tomorrow night."

"A special meeting? What kind of meeting?" Regulus asked as he walked toward the table and sat down beside Severus.

"A meeting to let you in on one of our more involved projects," Severus replied. "There are several groups that are planning for the Fawkes mission."

"The one in November?"

"Yes, of course," Severus said in annoyance. "Only we aren't referring to it by date just in case someone is listening in. We call it the Fawkes project to make it easier. The point is that we want you to be involved in this project now because we feel that you have demonstrated your loyalty to the Dark Lord."

"You mean that I wasn't trusted before?" Regulus asked, feeling somewhat hurt. They hadn't trusted him? But he had been working so hard for them the entire summer.

"It was not you as much as Merric," Severus explained. "The Dark Lord was concerned that your close ties with him might render you unable to handle sensitive material at home. As we discovered, this was certainly the case."

"But it wasn't because he's of Muggle parentage, was it?" Regulus asked carefully.

"Of course not," Severus said lightly. "He might be a Mudblood, but a lot of us have some ties to Muggles. It's very rare to find someone who is completely Pureblood like you are. But Merric had been spewing threats that were directly counter to the Dark Lord."

Regulus agreed softly, "That's true. I tried to convince him of the truth, but he just wouldn't hear it."

"It's not something we have to worry about now," Severus said. "So you're going to be on a team along with myself and several others whom I think you will recognize. I don't want to reveal their identities now because that could endanger the team if you decide not to come to the meeting tomorrow, but I can promise you that you know of most of them."

"I would be honoured, truly," Regulus said quickly. "Where and when is the meeting?"

"Be ready around five o'clock. You'll feel the mark, and you'll know where to go. Trust me," Severus replied. "Now, to business. What have you found? What is this project about?"

Regulus grinned and gloated, "Oh, so you know that I'm on Richard Thomas' research team, but you don't know what the project is about?"

"Of course not, that's why you're on the team," Severus pointed out. "Do you really think any of the others would be Death Eaters? Half of the team are either Aurors or in law enforcement! Incidentally, that means that you have to be very careful not to use dark magic when you're around them. Some of them seem to be able to sense it."

"Right, of course. I knew that," Regulus muttered. Severus always had a way of making him feel less than adequate. Sometimes he felt that Severus' expectations were even greater than those of the Dark Lord. But then he remembered that Severus was a competitor and subservient, just as he was, to the Dark Lord's whims. All it would take was Regulus proving that he could somehow do the job better, and he would be the one in charge.

He mentally shook himself out of his thoughts and smiled at the incredulous look on Severus' face.

"Right, then. The project Richard Thomas is working on has to do with enhancing offensive and defensive battle spells to aid law enforcement personnel, including the Auror division. One of the members of the team, Oliver Prewett, brought up the possibility of extending shield spells for several people, which the whole team thought was a good idea. The point is, this is a team developing spells that we can use," Regulus finished, hoping that his voice sounded strong and authoritative.

Severus seemed pleased as he replied, "That sounds fascinating, and very useful, indeed. Who is on this team?"

"Well, Richard Thomas, Oliver Prewett, Tobias Jackson, and myself, of course," Regulus said, leaning into his right palm as he tried to remember all of the names. "Then there was a middle-aged bloke named James Finch, a witch named Hestia Jones, another bloke not much older than us named Frank Longbottom, oh, and Lily Potter."

"Lily Potter?" Severus leaned forward and looked interested in the conversation for the first time, hair falling into his face and eyes narrowing. "What interest does she have in this assignment?"

Regulus shrugged. "Apparently she got really good marks in school for charms. You were in her year, do you remember that?"

"Yes, she always was very adept at spell work, though I attributed most of it to her lovely wand," Severus replied haughtily. "I assume she has personal interest in the project as well, seeing as Potter is a trainee Auror and they're both involved in Dumbledore's secret society."

"She's been an interesting one to talk to. Lovely girl, and very opinionated," Regulus noted with a smile.

"Yes, her opinions are well-known," Severus said in a low voice. "Have you learned anything new? Obviously you've learned things about her past that you didn't know, but the Dark Lord probably already knows all of that. Anything personal and recent?"

"She and James are thinking of moving out of London," Regulus offered. "They've decided that the city is a bit too dangerous for their liking, but they aren't sure where they are going to move to just yet."

"They're not going to inhabit Potter's inherited house?"

Regulus shook his head and explained, "Apparently he still feels odd being there without his parents. They're looking at other places around the countryside, but I think they might try to stay relatively close to London."

"That's a good thing to know. Good work," Severus replied.

Regulus flushed. "Well, thanks. All I really do is talk to her, and she does most of the talking anyway."

"Well, women are apt to do so," Severus joked.

"I suppose so," Regulus said with a small laugh, noting that his mother rarely let anyone have a word in a conversation. Lily was nothing like that. She asked him questions and allowed him to offer his opinion as well. She really was very unlike most girls he had ever met. The only girl he could think of who was somewhat similar was Liam's sister Aislinn, though remembering her brought a pain that was almost too much to bear.

"Can I ask a question?" Regulus asked suddenly, trying to get his mind off of the past.

"Of course."

"Was the action this morning in High Wycombe directed at Alec Kingston and his family?" Regulus questioned carefully, examining Severus' face for any trace of a lie.

"Not directly, no," Severus said smoothly. "We have no reason to attack Kingston. True, he has access to information within your department, but I'm sure that anything he would have access to would be something our other agents, including yourself, would be able to get their hands on as well."

"He gets to look at all of the spell patents before they become law," Regulus blurted. "He has access to every single spell that could potentially be used against us."

"Are you _trying_ to get us to seize him for questioning?" Severus queried and raised an eyebrow. "I thought you and Kingston were colleagues, and that you got on fairly well."

"We do, and we are, and no I am not trying to get him into trouble. I just wanted to make sure that he was not being targeted because of his position because I could probably obtain access to any of his files, if I really needed to," Regulus boasted. "It's just, he's been a good mate to me, and his wife and children seem to be very nice people."

"Though Muggles," Severus noted.

Regulus nodded. "Anna is at least. They don't know yet about the children. I understand that they're still quite young."

"Fear not, Regulus. Your friend is safe," Severus assured him. "Though I will have to store this information for the Dark Lord. You, better than anyone, understand that while a person is one day your friend, the next day they can become your worst enemy. Do be mindful of that in the months to come."

"Of course, I am mindful of it always," Regulus stated. "I am pleased that I have been able to fulfil so many of my missions with just this one opportunity."

"No one is more pleased than the Dark Lord, I can assure you," Severus said.

"Will he ever call me back to his side? I have not seen him in months," Regulus complained.

Severus shook his head. "Patience, remember? Do well, and you will be rewarded. Perhaps you will even get to see him tomorrow, I do not know. Though, do not be so eager to always be in his presence. Often those he calls, he calls for a grim purpose."

"You mean he generally only calls people because they've disappointed him?"

"That, or worse," Severus said darkly. "But as long as you serve him faithfully you will have nothing to fear. I must leave you. I fear that I have already spent too long here."

Both men rose and Regulus extended a hand to shake, which Severus took.

"You're always welcome here, of course," Regulus said. "I'll see you tomorrow."

Severus nodded, and Disapparated.

* * *

A very big thank you, as always, to Arnel and Cygnus for their beta skills. Let the speculations begin…


	9. Chapter 9

**Heart of Gold**

**Chapter 9**

**By American Wings**

* * *

Liam shouldered a bag full of old lines and nudged the front gate of his parents' house with his foot, grunting softly as he tried to keep his balance. Silas would follow close behind, but he was glad for the brief moment he had to himself. Working for Silas had proven to be harder than he had expected. He hadn't remembered how physically intense it was to keep up a ship, and his muscles had ached for several weeks as he berated himself mentally for not keeping his body in shape over the summer. It had been so easy to follow the monotony of working at the bookstore and preparing material for the Blood Equality Society and forget the other essentials of life.

He saw Kate lean out the kitchen window out of the corner of his eye and turned to face his mother.

"Well aren't you a fright," she said as she looked him over.

Liam glanced down and saw that his clothes were spotted with tar stains from some of the old lines. His shoes were caked in mud from the mushy streets, soaked from a mid-autumn rain, and his hands were filthy from the work of the day.

He shrugged. "I suppose I do. Hard work is good for a young man. It builds character."

"Yes, and hungry stomachs. I hope that you've brought home an appetite for Yorkshire pudding," she said. "Apparently Clare has taken to it, so Alana is bringing some over for everyone. Go on and wash up."

He nodded and set the bag down just inside the garden shed, stretching his shoulders before walking into the back door and toward his room. Silas and Alana had started eating more often with Michael, Kate, and Liam since his return, and he had noticed Aislinn turning up at the house more frequently, too. He felt it refreshing to interact with them on an adult level since he had not lived at home for an extended period of time since the age of eleven. Yet at the same time he felt like part of his life was missing, the part that had to do with his very nature. As much as he wanted to stay here forever, he knew that he would have to face that other reality at some point.

Another typical family dinner came and went with him feeling quite satisfied in body, and mostly satisfied in mind and spirit, but not totally whole. Clare had completely warmed up to him again after being around him constantly for a month and a half and always wanted to him to play with her when her parents brought her to the house. Liam was beginning to discover just how busy a two-year-old can keep a person and was exhausted by the time the little girl started to yawn and her mother decided to take her home and put her to bed. Soon, the only other person in the kitchen was Kate, who was measuring the dry ingredients to make scones for the next morning's breakfast. Michael had gone to bed early and Liam was considering the same, but he liked watching his mother bake.

"You never stop, do you?" he teased lightly.

Kate added some flour as she answered, "Of course not. I have mouths to feed and a household to run. Who needs sleep?"

"Apparently I do," Liam said with a yawn. "Silas has really been putting me to work."

"Yes, but that was to be expected, wasn't it?" Kate replied. "His work is never done, you know. There's always something more that he can think of to make that fleet better. You'll never get to the point where there is nothing to do."

Liam agreed, "Yeah, that's true. I guess I just never figured it would make me so tired."

Kate stepped back from the dough for a moment and leaned against the countertop, brushing away a piece of wispy hair that had fallen out of her loose bun.

"Liam, you know I love having you here. I love that we all have a chance to live together and really be a family, though I wish Tara could be here and not at university so she could celebrate with us, too. We've not been able to do this in a very long time," she said sincerely.

"But I'm concerned that you're only here because you're running away from something. I'm concerned that you're not facing the problems waiting for you back in England and that they're just going to get worse the longer you let them sit."

"I didn't choose for Regulus to do what he did, Ma," Liam said defensively. "I didn't want my best mate to join an organisation that is probably going to get him killed. I tried to tell him what the true nature of the Death Eaters was and he wouldn't listen."

Kate folded her arms and stared at him. "Yes, and no one else would listen to you either. I know you're just trying to correct a perceived evil, but what if you're wrong?"

"You don't believe me either? It's totally clear to me. Voldemort is the one behind all of the attacks, including the one that hurt Aislinn. He's the one who is deceiving the entire wizarding population. Voldemort is trying to take over and drive out everyone counter to his agenda," Liam insisted, voice raising in volume. "I know that the wizarding world isn't perfect, far from it, but Voldemort isn't the one to change it."

"Do you think you are?" Kate asked. "Because that seemed to be what you wanted to do, and then you showed up on that doorstep bitter. Why are you running?"

Liam shook his head. "There's no other option. If I'm going to preserve myself, I have to stay away from there."

"But couldn't you be doing more to help if you were there?"

"Probably, but then I'd be risking my life. I'm telling you, he finds anyone who opposes him. I started connecting the dots earlier this year, tracing the murder patterns," he tried to explain. "They were usually Muggleborns, or half-blood, or just Muggles. More recently they started using this disgusting symbol over their victims, a skull with a snake. They're related, I know it, and I know others in the wizarding world agree with me. But I also know that he'll eliminate anyone who stands up to him."

"Haven't we always taught you to face your fears?" Kate pushed. "Haven't we taught you that when there's something you believe in, you should fight for it?"

"Of course, and I would, but this means too much to me," Liam said, gesturing around the room. "I'd rather live away from all of that and still have a full life than die for a cause that really means almost nothing to the people I care about the most. I mean, if I were killed, how would you explain that to the neighbours?"

Kate sighed in exasperation. "I don't know, Liam, and I don't ever want to have to, but it still worries me that you've given up so quickly on something you believed in for so long. This is part of you, and I know you enough to know that you're not really happy here."

"Of course I'm happy here," he insisted.

"Yes, I knew you were going to say that, but you have to know that you won't be able to live a full life here, not after having lived there for so long," Kate replied. "That world is part of who you are now. You have a gift in you that you'll never be able to show fully to those you most care about."

"Why are you pushing me?" he questioned. "There has to be more of a reason than you just don't want me to give up on my dreams. Why is it that you want me to go back there?"

She shook her head slowly. "Because I don't want you to be alone and unhappy. If you stay here, you might find a girl to marry. You might have a job with your father and brother, and you might get to watch Clare grow up and we could really be a family again. But you would always feel distanced from the rest of us because of what you can do."

"Do you feel distant from me because you know what I can do? Do you wish I was just normal like the rest of you?" Liam asked, stung.

"I feel like you're hiding who you are because you feel like you would scare us if you didn't," she said. "I want you to have the best; every parent wants that for their child. I just want you to be absolutely sure that this is the life that you want."

She walked over to the kitchen table, sat next to him, and lowered her voice as she continued.

"I should have told you this a long time ago, I know, but I want you to know something now," she said softly.

"What is it?" he asked, curious.

"My father was a wizard, just like you," she said simply. "I never knew until the day that you nearly fell off the cliffs, but he finally told me. He never told my mother."

Liam was speechless. His grandfather, a wizard? The one who was always alone, the one who preferred wandering the cliffs to wandering through town? The one who always seemed to appear whenever the boys got into too much mischief to keep them from harm? It was because of _magic_?

"Did he, did he go to Hogwarts? Is he related to anyone in the wizarding world?" Liam asked, wondering if his grandfather had really been from a Pureblood family.

"Not that I know of. He was always very quiet about his family, I never met my grandparents nor knew if he had any brothers or sisters," Kate said, voice tinged with regret. "He just explained to me what had happened and what you had done. He said not to worry and told me that someday you would probably get invited to a school that would teach you how to use what you could do."

"And that was it?"

She nodded. "That was it. Believe me, I wanted to ask him a million more questions, but that was all he would tell me. I don't know what happened to him, but I do know that he was running from something when he came to Doolin, and I don't want that for you. I don't want you to spend your life running away from another life."

"But I've come back to where I came from before," he insisted. "I may not be in the wizarding world anymore, but I've come home to where I grew up."

"Indeed, you have," Kate agreed, giving one his large hands a squeeze with one of her small ones. "And I'm so thankful that I get to see you every morning and say goodnight to you when you go to bed. But my father, for all of his excitement and energy, always seemed to live a life of seclusion and sadness, a sadness that ran so deep none of us could penetrate it. I don't want that for you."

"I understand that, I really do," Liam said, squeezing her hand in return. "But I want to have a life to live. I don't want to die before knowing what that means. I just need time to decide what to do. This isn't something I can solve with a simple answer."

She nodded. "I know. I'm here to help if you need me, but I can't do anything if you won't explain to me what's going on."

"There's something I need to learn from this," Liam replied. "I'll know what it is eventually, and I will go back. I need to make things right with Regulus, though it may already be too late for that and I have no idea how."

"One day at a time, I think," Kate encouraged. "And I think it's about time that you get some rest. Silas said that there was a shipment coming in tomorrow, and you need to be in top form to haul that into the warehouse."

He nodded. "Good night, and don't worry. I'll figure out what to do and it will all be fine. No matter what, I want to keep you safe."

"We've been safe thus far, I think we'll be all right," she assured him. "Sweet dreams."

* * *

Regulus felt the skull and snake tattoo burn at six o'clock and waited. An image appeared in his head a minute later of somewhere he had never seen and he knew he would have to concentrate very hard on all of the details if he was meant to Apparate to that location. In his mind's eye, he saw a small brick house set back from the road in a grove of trees. The windows of the house shone from interior light and he could almost smell embers burning in the fireplace.

_This seems a bit too cozy_, he thought to himself. _But to each his own_.

He concentrated very hard on the thought of the house, the trees, and the road, thinking about every detail and distance so that he would end up in a location clear of trees and especially the brick walls of the house. He felt the familiar whooshing sensation and a few seconds later he landed, just to the side of the house in the shadows created by the overhanging roof and the trees, which he now realized were very large and very old. Their branches covered the whole area of the yard, and he felt that it would still be totally shaded even if it were not evening and the sun completely gone from the sky.

Regulus had followed where his mind had told him to go, but what was he supposed to do now? Was he supposed to approach the house? What if he was supposed to meet up with Severus and the others at a location nearby, and not in the house at all? What if it was just a convenient place to Apparate to? One question after another started to plague his mind as he decided to retreat further into the thick trees and get his bearings.

A few minutes later, he noticed a figure exit out the back of the house and head toward his position. By now, the only light came from the windows and the stars above. Regulus noted that the figure was a bit taller than him and slight. He was wearing a hood and gazed downward, but seemed to know exactly where Regulus was despite the fact that he was hidden in the undergrowth.

"Regulus?" called a voice softly from the hood. Regulus recognized it as Severus.

"Severus?" he called back. "Is that you?"

"What are you doing? Where are you?" Severus asked indignantly as Regulus climbed out of his hiding spot and made himself visible.

"Well, er, I wasn't sure if I should go to the door of the house. I figured that there was a possibility that we were meeting somewhere near here and that the house might, in fact, not belong to one of us," Regulus explained hastily.

"Come on, we're all inside," Severus said and walked back toward the house. Regulus followed him.

"I really can't have been expected to know that I should enter the house, you know. I haven't been asked to meet with anyone but you since mid-July and even before that, I was only called to a real meeting once," Regulus blurted, following close behind Severus so he could keep a low voice. It felt good to voice what had been annoying him for quite some time. "So really, I don't think I should be blamed for making little mistakes like that. You're always lecturing me to be secretive; well, I was. I didn't want to endanger the mission by approaching a strange house and asking if any Death Eaters had walked by."

Severus turned around suddenly, causing Regulus to skid so as not to bowl him over. "Would you stop apologizing for everything? I mean, just be who you are. I know I should have explained to you to come to the house, and I'm sorry for not doing that. Stop second guessing yourself. What people like is someone who is confident, both in themselves and in their work."

He was standing so close that Regulus had to take a step back

"I have faith that you can do that, Regulus, and that's why I wanted to include you on this mission. I've seen you do it in front of Liam. Now please, do not prove me wrong here. Be firm in your convictions and don't back down at this meeting."

"Yeah, okay," Regulus replied lamely, stung by Severus' comments.

"I'm serious. They'll walk all over you if you show the least bit of hesitation, and I want you in on this because I think you're smarter than they are," Severus explained sincerely. "Come on, they're waiting."

He turned back toward the house and Regulus followed, staying a few steps behind just in case the older man whipped around again. Severus knocked on the door three times and then waited. The door opened slightly, casting a sliver of light onto the stone walkway. Regulus tried to crane around Severus' frame to see who was at the door, but was unsuccessful in doing so.

"Password?" a voice said.

"Fawkes," Severus said confidently. The door swung open just enough to let both men inside.

Regulus looked around at his counterparts. He did not recognize the sandy-haired young man who opened the door, but he did recognize Nicolai Baddock from Slytherin and Lucius Malfoy.

"Regulus. Pleasant to see you," Lucius said, rising to extend a hand to his soon-to-be relative.

Regulus shook his hand firmly. "The pleasure is all mine. I hear things are going well with the wedding planning."

"Yes, well, Narcissa is minding all of that. I don't do much besides sign the checks," Lucius said bluntly. "It's good to be here and get my mind off of it. I'll be glad _after_ the wedding."

The other men laughed and Regulus joined in hesitantly, embarrassed at his brass. He was sure that he did not want to think about his cousin that way, but he did not want to appear prudish in front of his colleagues. Even if Severus was a competitor, what he had said was true. If Regulus made one false move, he was finished.

"Gentlemen, shall we?" Severus said in a bored tone of voice. "As much as I'd love to discuss Lucius and Narcissa's wedding night, we have more important matters on our hands."

"Of course, Severus. She did want me to make sure you came, though. Seems you haven't sent back your response card," Lucius responded.

Severus nodded impatiently. "Yes, I'll be there, but let's get to business. It's because of your wedding that we have to get these plans done."

"When is it?" Regulus asked.

"Next weekend, followed by a week-long trip to Malta," Lucius told him. "I'm surprised your mother hasn't told you."

"Knowing her, I'll get an owl about it on Wednesday informing me that I had better be there or I'll lose part of my inheritance," Regulus joked. "You know how they can be."

"That week in Malta is exactly why we're here. Lucius will be out of commission, and then he'll get back and it will be all about Sissy, Sissy, Sissy for at least another two," the sandy-haired man said.

He turned to Regulus for the first time. "By the way, I'm Barty. Barty Crouch."

Regulus nodded his acknowledgment. "Crouch. Seems your father is a piece of work as well. Isn't he on the Wizengamot? You've got some nerve going against someone that powerful."

"My father is nothing," Barty said confidently. "He doesn't know what's right for our society. I hear you have a mate of a similar calibre."

Regulus felt a knot form in his stomach. "Yes, well, Liam can't do much against us. He's holed away in Ireland. Your father, however…" his voice trailed off.

"It's been discussed, we're well aware," Severus interjected. "Enough of this chatter. We've only got this house to ourselves for so long because Nicolai's parents will be back by nine, correct?"

Nicolai nodded.

"Okay, let's get to work. The five of us are charged with back-up operations for the Fawkes plan. Lucius, would you mind filling Regulus in on the plans that have been developed?" Severus said. Lucius nodded.

"Basically, we want to create havoc. There have been rumours for months now that the Dark Lord is going to strike and strike hard. Well, we want to prove those rumours. We want to give people something to be frightened about," Lucius explained.

"Why should they be frightened?" Regulus asked.

"Because they're not standing up to our corrupt government and they need to pay for it," Barty added smoothly. "The Dark Lord wants everyone to realize that the Ministry of Magic cannot keep them safe. No one is free from harm, no matter who they are."

"Of course, those on our side will be fine," Lucius assured him. "We don't have to worry about our families or whomever, but we need to strike key players and if we face resistance, even if those resisting were not the original targets, well, we'll have to respond."

"Meaning, if Sirius and his little band rise up against us…" Severus stopped mid-sentence.

"Nothing to worry about," Regulus said quickly. "Sirius isn't my brother anymore. I don't owe him anything."

"Exactly what we wanted to hear," Barty replied. "I'm glad you've got your head on straight."

"Where are the targets?" Nicolai asked. "We've talked about this before, but never really about where we'll be hitting."

"Various neighbourhoods, another Diagon Alley blast, possibility of a Hogsmeade strike," Barty rattled the locations like a shopping list.

Lucius nodded and broke in, "Maybe a Ministry strike, but that's a big maybe. That would require a lot of planning, and it would put agents at risk."

"It's also something they might expect after the first few large-scale attacks," Regulus pointed out. "But if we started with that … and if we pulled it off? That could be a great way to start the night off with a bang, so to say."

Severus laughed. "That's a really bad joke, Regulus, but a good point."

"We definitely want to make this look deliberate, though, right?" Regulus asked. "Because we could easily pass off attacks as Guy Fawkes parties that get out of hand."

"No, we want them to know it was us," Lucius insisted. "The five of us are on a lesser aspect of the mission, we won't be involved with any of the big strikes, but we're still an important part of it."

"How many other teams are involved?" Regulus asked.

"There are three teams covering the major strikes," Barty explained. "Personally, I think the Ministry's a bad idea. There is way too much security around the place."

"But if the Dark Lord wills it, it must be done," Lucius pointed out and Barty nodded a hesitant concession.

"And how many doing what we're doing?" Nicolai cut in.

"About five, maybe six," Severus answered. "We're using everyone here, except people involved in key reconnaissance positions. Our specific team has to decide where we want to be that night from a few options. Firstly, the question of whether we want to be in London or elsewhere."

Lucius reasoned, "The key assignments will be London, to be sure, but most of us can't afford to be revealed as followers of the Dark Lord."

Regulus considered the five men in the room. Lucius and Barty both had key jobs with the Ministry and family legacies. Barty especially had a great deal to lose if he were to be revealed as a Death Eater, even if he insisted that his father mattered nothing to him. The three of them were from strong, Pureblood lines, and their usefulness was limited to what they could offer the Dark Lord in terms of their ties through lineage and occupation. He had little idea about the backgrounds of either Nicolai or Severus. It seemed that Nicolai was in the same position as him in terms of how long he had served Lord Voldemort, but why had they included him in this mission?

"Lucius is right," Regulus affirmed. "It would be brilliant to be in on the action, but neither he, nor I, nor Barty can be revealed as followers of the Dark Lord. We're no good to him if we are."

"None of us are any good to him revealed as his followers," Nicolai argued. "A pile of gold in Gringotts doesn't make you any more important to the Dark Lord than Severus or me."

"Yeah, Baddock, but you don't have that pile of gold to lose either, do you?" Lucius drawled. "This is something that we have to consider."

"It is a fair point," Severus conceded. "Besides, your gold is financing a good deal of what we're doing here. So where do you think we should be on fifth November?"

"My vote is somewhere in the country that we're familiar with," Regulus offered. "That way we'll know where to go if things go wrong and we're not in a position to Apparate."

"Baddock can't Apparate," Barty said with a snigger. "He hasn't been able to get his license yet."

"Really?" Regulus wondered incredulously.

"Shut your mouth," Nicolai growled. "I'll get it soon."

Severus broke in. "So somewhere we are familiar with is a good idea. We do need to make sure that we're somewhere we can't be recognized, though."

"My family has a house in Stratford-Upon-Avon," Barty said. "We rarely go there; I don't even think I'd be recognized as the owner of the house if I walked down the street. My father has an important business meeting out of the country that he'll be attending on the fifth November, and my mother always stays in London when my father is away. It'll be completely empty."

Lucius nodded. "That's not bad. Narcissa and I are in Wiltshire, of course, at the mansion. Anyone else have West Country roots"

Regulus nodded. "There's a house in Devon. Hardly anyone ever uses it, but it's there."

"I'm from Manchester," Severus said apologetically.

"And I'm from, well, here," Nicolai noted.

"Where is here?" Regulus wondered aloud.

"Somerset," Lucius said simply. "The West Country it is, then, not Somerset, though, because as much as we take the mickey out of Nicolai, we don't want him to be spotted. Up by Stratford, then?"

"Probably the best idea," Barty agreed. "We'll still be close enough to Wiltshire that way if we need to split up."

"Okay, I'm glad that we were able to get that straightened out," Severus said admirably. "I thought it would take a lot longer. Barty, can we plan on meeting at your Stratford house at nine?"

Barty nodded. "Certainly, but will that give us enough time? I mean, shouldn't we be starting earlier?"

"No, the Dark Lord wants all of the strikes to happen under the cover of darkness," Severus explained. "That way we can look more sinister, and secretive."

_We're really going to do this_, Regulus thought to himself. He was going to be involved in a mission that meant something, that the Dark Lord had a hand in creating, and he was going to do it with others the same age as him who were letting him in on their jokes and including him as their own. Granted, they had known him at school, but such a meeting between the five of them would never have taken place in the walls of Hogwarts. Severus had never expressed interest in being close to anyone, Lucius had been the most popular boy in Slytherin, and he rarely crossed paths with Nicolai even though they lived in the same dormitory. Barty was a few years older, but Regulus thought he had been a Ravenclaw.

"Regulus? What do you think?"

He suddenly registered that Barty was addressing him. He shook himself mentally and entered the conversation again.

"Yeah, that sounds good. Are we wearing black robes and masks, the whole deal?" he asked.

"Yes," Lucius affirmed. "Come ready for action. We're not going to be there for a long while, just enough to do some maximum damage. Are we all clear on everything, then? I'm supposed to meet Narcissa to go over some last minute details."

"I believe so, good work, gentlemen," Severus said. "We'll have specific details on strike targets the night of the action. Be punctual, and be ready."

They said their good-byes and Lucius reminded Severus and Regulus again about the wedding. Barty and Lucius Apparated home immediately, leaving Severus and Regulus with Nicolai.

"Thanks for letting us use your parents' house," Severus said. "We couldn't very well meet at Regulus' flat because that would be too many people descending on an area, there's the same problem with my flat, and Lucius and Barty are too prominent."

Nicolai laughed shortly. "Well, I'm glad my insignificance can be used to serve the cause."

"Don't think on it. Prove yourself in this mission, and no one else will ever think on it either," Severus said simply. "Anyway, have a good night. We'll be in touch."

Regulus nodded to Nicolai and followed Severus out the door into the cool, autumn air.

"Well done being assertive," Severus complimented. "I was very pleased. We'll still need to work on Baddock."

"So we're really going to do this?"

Severus nodded. "Yes. This is going to change everything, you know."

"I know."

They were silent for a moment, staring at the trees overhead.

"Well," Regulus said. "For a better future?"

"For a better future."

* * *

Regulus was sitting in one of the staff lounges at the Department later that week, trying to think of a way to improve upon Oliver Prewett's shielding charm. It seemed foolproof, except for the fact that he was not sure if it would work.

The charm called for the use of the _Protego_ spell by multiple people, who would then combine their shield strength to cast one around a larger area. The spell was complex in itself, and he had only known very strong wizards who could cast it around themselves and another person, and then only if the other person was right next to them. The idea of getting two people to cast the spell simultaneously and then use their combined powers seemed like it would never work.

"It seems impossible, doesn't it?" Lily said. Regulus looked up and saw her leaning against the wall right by the door, arms full of loose parchment and the bound copy Oliver had provided them with.

"Yeah, just a bit," he admitted. "How in the world do they expect to combine the shields? The spell is meant to be cast over a short range, only over one's own self."

"That's why it's an experiment," she said shortly as she put her load on the table and sat down across from him. "We don't know if it will work, but wouldn't it be amazing if it did?"

He nodded. "I think it would take people who knew a lot about one another, though. I don't think this would be something that two people who've never met before could cast."

She crossed her arms and leaned forward. "Why do you say that?"

"I think you'd have to know a lot about another person's magical ability and the way that they relate to magic to be able to combine your own magic with theirs," Regulus explained. "It's what I've been thinking about all morning. I mean, we each have our own strengths, right? We're all better at different forms of magic than others. Presumably, two people who know each other well would know what types of magic the other is better or weaker at, and would be able to compensate for those differences."

"That's brilliant, I hadn't thought of that," Lily encouraged. "That really changes my way of thinking about it. I had just been trying to come up with the right words to say. You know, something that would indicate combination."

"That's important, too," he assured her. "But I think we have to get a better idea of what we want our end result to be before we can assign words to the action. I think the action is supposed to come before the words."

She nodded. "That makes absolute sense, I just never thought about it that way. I learned the words and thought about the intended result afterwards."

"Just different ways of looking at the same thing, really," he offered. "Don't worry, I won't tell everyone else that I'm smarter than you are."

She laughed and said sarcastically, "Oh, well, that's a relief. I wouldn't want the entire team to think me incompetent."

He laughed with her and thought about how comfortable he was. She made him feel like he could say anything, do anything, and he knew that he was mad for thinking so. Regulus could only get so close to Lily because he had to remember that she was his mission. He had to report on her actions because the Dark Lord was interested in what she was involved with. He could not let her become a conflict of interest, and surely she would not allow such a friendship because she was married, and James Potter was a powerful man.

"How are things with James and finding a house?" he asked abruptly.

"Oh, um, they're coming along," she replied hesitantly. "We're leaning toward the suburbs right around London. It would be easier to come in to work that way."

"You can always Apparate," he pointed out.

She nodded. "We know, but we'd be more comfortable if we could take regular transportation if necessary. You never know what kind of situation you might be in."

"Does he know what you're involved in here?" Regulus asked curiously. "Jacks and Thomas had asked us to keep our work private."

Lily looked down and sighed. "James has some idea, because he's a trainee Auror so he can know more than others can. He works with Frank often, so Frank and I have been getting input from him as well. But he doesn't know who I'm working with.

She paused, and then continued, "He doesn't really know that we're friends at all."

"I can't say that's a shock," Regulus admitted. "It might look odd if you were to admit that you were becoming mates with his best mate's younger brother."

"Not to mention Sirius' relationship with your family," Lily added. "I haven't thought of a way to tell him delicately. Maybe I won't at all."

"It's not like we're doing anything wrong here," Regulus observed. "We're just two co-workers learning about one another's lives and working on solutions to problems."

Lily agreed, "Yes, I know, but Sirius has this idea in his head that you're one of _them._"

Regulus swallowed. "Them?"

"The Death Eaters, Voldemort's followers."

"Why ever would he think that?" Regulus questioned.

"They approached him, you know," she admitted cautiously. "A few months ago. Your cousin, Bellatrix, she asked him if he would be interested in joining their cause because of your family background. Sirius is concerned that she did the same with you."

Regulus shook his head. "Bellatrix did no such thing. I've hardly seen her at all in recent months."

Both true statements. He hadn't known Bellatrix and Rodolphus were Death Eaters for sure until the night that he had pledged his loyalty. Of course, he had suspected that they were, but neither had contacted him in advance. He received a note inviting him to be Death Eater in late April; no single person had ever approached him to talk about it.

Lily appeared relieved. "Well, that's good. I don't know much about her, I've never met her, but I've seen pictures and I've heard enough stories. She sends chills up my spine."

Regulus laughed. "Yes, she's a bit cold. Not to worry, Lily. I'm just trying to live my life and do my work. How was your pub visit with the boys?"

"All fun and games as usual," she said. "Sirius tried to goad Remus into picking up girls, who of course refused because he has too big of a heart for that. Then Peter offered to show his brass and get girls for both Sirius and himself, but he had had a bit too much to drink."

"Yeah, sounds like the good old boys to me," Regulus replied. "I'm glad that you all get on so well. It's nice to have friends like that."

"It really is," she agreed. "It's due to those boys that I was able to loosen up a bit, and they never let me forget it. I've really been blessed with all the experiences we have had, and with knowing James, of course."

Regulus nodded. "Well, good. Listen, it's been great chatting with you, but I'm going to work on this for a little while longer. I'll see you at the meeting next week?"

"Yes, you will," Lily affirmed. "I'll keep thinking about these ideas."

"Brilliant," Regulus said. "I'll catch you later then."

* * *

Regulus examined his reflection in the mirror on Saturday morning. His mother finally told him about Lucius and Narcissa's wedding and insisted that he make an appearance, to which he agreed. He aired out his dress robes the night before while going over his notes one more time. He found it exhilarating to be involved in work that was new and had never been done before and thought of how he would be remembered for being a part of such an important spell team.

He was almost disappointed that he had to share the credit with everyone else. It could not be disputed that Oliver had the original idea, but Regulus was taking it to new heights and thinking it through. He had the initiative to refine the concept and create something that was workable, comparing the different elements to spells he already had knowledge of. He was sure that he would have the most influence over the final product, and that was very uplifting for his spirits.

It did bother Regulus that Lily was so silent about their friendship. On the one hand, it made his job for the Dark Lord easier because James and Sirius, and even Remus, would not be looking out for her welfare around him. But on the other, that meant that Lily thought any interaction with him would set them off. She was not sure how to reveal that they were even on the same working team. To him, that signaled that tensions were higher than ever before between Sirius and his parents, or that they really suspected that he was a Death Eater. Such suspicions surely compromised his position.

It would not do to change his tactics now, he realized. He had to keep continuing his normal routine. Lily would surely notice any change in his attitude and manner toward her. At the same time, he had to remember that she was his mission. His success in the eyes of the Dark Lord depended on how well he could relay information about Lily Potter. That, combined with success in the impending November action, would determine how close he would be able to get, and who he would be able to elbow out of the way on his path to glory. He hoped that he would be able to surpass even Severus, Lucius, and Barty.

The wedding was supposed to start at eleven o'clock, but his mother wanted him to be at the Malfoy mansion in Wiltshire by ten thirty. He checked his clock and saw that he had very little time left to get ready. He finished a cup of tea he had made to wake himself up and checked himself in the mirror again. Satisfied, he washed the cup in the sink and Apparated to the West Country.

* * *

_Author's Note: Many thanks to Arnel and Cygnus for their beta skills, even in the midst of busy schedules and late nights! You both make writing so much more fun with your comments and suggestions and I look forward to receiving your comments first every single time._


	10. Chapter 10

**Heart of Gold**

**Chapter 10**

**By American Wings**

* * *

Narcissa seemed to glow with happiness as she bade good night to guests at the end of the reception, but Regulus thought that she may have just been happy to be the centre of attention. Lucius, for his part, was playing the role of the enamoured groom quite well, though Regulus had noticed him checking his pocket watch five times in the last hour. Regulus' parents had stayed through the wedding and just long enough at the reception so that their leaving would not be considered rude, but Regulus had decided to stay until the food was cleared away and guests began to leave. It was not everyday that one got invited to dinner at Malfoy Manor.

"Some party, eh?" noted Barty as he sat down next to Regulus, who could smell whiskey on his breath.

"Yeah, Lucius knows how to throw them," Regulus agreed. "Though I think this party may have been more Narcissa's doing than his."

Barty nodded. "She's been driving him mad with all of the planning. She wanted her wedding to be the one that everyone talked about this year, and she thought that she might have a good shot at it since it's one of the later ones."

"Why did they decide to get married in mid-October?" Regulus asked. "It is a bit late in the season, and they had such a short engagement. I didn't even know that they were getting married until about three weeks ago."

"Well, eh, I think they were always planning on getting married," Barty said carefully. "But they may have had more incentive to speed it up in recent months."

"Incentive? Surely she's not …" Regulus began slowly.

Barty nodded. "Oh yes she is. About a month and a half along now."

Regulus looked over at his new cousin-in-law again. "I can't say I'm surprised. Lucius seems to be the kind of bloke who might be a little, eh, too passionate and forget to take precautions."

"Well, I think that's why Narcissa has been so eager to over-compensate today," Barty noted. "Very few people know, of course, just family and close friends. I think she thought that if she threw the wedding of the year, few people would think to count back the months after the kid is born."

Regulus shook his head. "Well, at least they've been seeing each other for a while, and at least he wasn't fooling around with someone his family wouldn't approve of. That's happened too many times to Pureblood families."

"Yeah, it's easy for them to shove any stigma there may have been and move on," Barty agreed. "They're too powerful. No one is going to say anything."

"Did your parents come to the wedding?" Regulus asked.

"My dad is second or third cousins or something like that with your uncle, Narcissa's father," Barty haphazardly explained. "His mother was a Black. So we're considered family, in a way. My father, of course, is adamantly opposed to the Malfoys because of their links to the Dark Arts, so he chose not to attend. I wanted to come just to see Lucius tie the knot. I've gotten to know him better over the past couple months. So, I was able to convince my parents that it would be a good idea for someone to attend just because a Black married into our family."

"Well done, I'm impressed," Regulus said. "Do you think he suspects anything, your father?"

"I doubt it," Barty replied. "I like to think that I'm fairly good at hiding my true allegiances, and I like to think that it makes me more useful for the cause."

"It can certainly be difficult sometimes," Regulus observed.

"But worth it," Barty pointed out. "I don't want to live in his shadow forever. Once we succeed, no one will think of him when they think of me. I'll be the only Bartemius Crouch who matters."

The determined look on Barty's face made Regulus shiver a bit inwardly. The stringy-haired man looked almost maniacal, as if he would do absolutely anything to get his way. Regulus knew little about the elder Crouch, but he knew enough to know that Barty's behaviour would be rewarded with condemnation should his identity as a Death Eater ever come to light.

"Do you think we'll be able to pull it off?" Regulus asked casually.

Barty nodded immediately. "We have what it takes, and with Dark Magic we're ten times more powerful than the other side. What's more, we know that they're worried because of your involvement in the defence spells team. Will your spells be ready by that time?"

Regulus shrugged. "No telling. What we're trying to do is very complicated, I'm not even sure if it will work, in all honesty."

"Are they letting you in on their plans?" Barty questioned. "Or are they mostly just abusing you for busy work? That's what my father's department does to their new employees. They have no respect for the abilities of the young."

"I'm very involved in the planning, actually," Regulus answered with pride. "Right now we're working on improving a plan submitted by one of the older members, but we're each expected to offer suggestions. I think my ideas will add a lot to the proposal."

"Really? What's it about?"

Regulus flushed and looked down. "Well, uh, I'm not sure if I can really tell you that. I mean, I know that I'm doing what I'm doing for the good of our cause, but at the same time I've only been talking to the Dark Lord and to Severus about my work."

Barty grunted and nodded. "Right. I understand that, I just thought, you know, we should know what we might be up against in a few weeks time."

"Not to worry. I'm part of this mission, too. If we develop anything, I'll let you lot know so that we'll be safe," Regulus promised, feeling a bit apprehensive.

Was Barty really only concerned with safety, or was he trying to glean information from Regulus that was not his to know? Would not the Dark Lord tell the right information to those he trusted? Was Barty not a trusted follower? He seemed to be so sure of himself and of the Dark Lord's plans, but perhaps he was just able to say the right thing at the right time.

"Fair enough," Barty conceded. "I should probably be going. It was good to see you here tonight, mate. Good luck with the work, and I'm sure we'll be in touch soon."

Regulus nodded. "Yeah, you too."

They shook hands and he watched Barty say goodnight and congratulations to Lucius and Narcissa. This was getting to be more complicated than he had expected it to be. Was he supposed to be able to trust the members of his team implicitly, or was there still an element of secrecy even when he assumed that he was among friends?

Severus was always so cautious when they spoke about Death Eater affairs, but Barty was completely relaxed. He had spent most of their previous meeting joking about Lucius' love life, but he still seemed to be absolutely devoted to the Dark Lord's cause, enough so that he was absolutely risking his life. The Crouch family were Pureblood sympathizers, but they were also against the use of Dark Magic. It was almost too much for Regulus to comprehend.

He stood as Narcissa approached his table, reaching for her hand and kissing it lightly.

"Congratulations, cousin. You're looking beautiful this evening," he complimented her.

She beamed. "Thank you very much. The planning has taken up so much of my time lately that I haven't been able to do much else. It's perfect, is it not?"

"Quite so," he assured her. "And how could it not be, since you and Lucius are so perfect for one another."

She giggled and nodded. "Of course we are. I am so glad you were able to join us, but where are your parents? I really wanted your mother to see everything I did with this place. She gave me so many suggestions and I was certain that she would be pleased."

"They were here earlier, but they had to leave early," he explained. "My father has not been feeling well lately."

Her eyebrows furrowed in what Regulus thought could have been an actual look of concern and sympathy.

"I'm so sorry. I do hope that he feels better soon," she replied. "I've not felt very well myself, but that could be due to other things."

Regulus gave her a slight smile. "Yes, but you at least have something to look forward to, even if it's going to take you another seven months or so to get there. My father, though …"

"He'll be fine," Narcissa said quickly. "Let's not think about these things right now, shall we? Today is supposed to be the happiest day of my life. Anyway, do send my condolences to your family and tell your mother that I will be after her for her opinions."

"I will be sure to do so," Regulus promised. "Have a good week with Lucius in Malta. I'll just show myself out, all right?"

"Of course. I'll give Lucius your regards," Narcissa said warmly. Regulus nodded, kissed her hand again, and walked into the foyer where he Apparated back to his flat.

The worst part about gatherings with other Pureblood families was the small talk and the little compliments that had to be said to stoke the fires of amity, even among family members. That part of his life was all about appearances and cordiality, and he could only stand being at large gatherings for so long. After reciting the same answers for hours, all Regulus wanted to do was soak in the feeling of blissful serenity.

* * *

The next meeting of the spell defence team was scheduled for Thursday morning, so Regulus spent the beginning of the week pondering how he wished to present his thoughts and finding ways to refine the ideas he already had. His theories seemed good on parchment, but translating them to reality was proving more difficult than he first imagined it would be. It was late Wednesday afternoon that he finally sat back in his chair in the work room and shook his head in exasperation. He had no idea where to go next.

"Frustrated?" asked a male voice from across the room.

Regulus turned and recognized James Finch, the veteran spell creator on the team. He was sitting in one of the more comfortable chairs in the room, hunched over and examining what Regulus assumed were his own notes on Oliver's potential shielding spell. His bushy brown hair was sticking on end and looked as if James had been running his hands through it, trying to rub the answers out of his skull.

"You could say that," Regulus grunted. "This seems impossible."

"They always do at first," James noted. "You just have to find where the concept and reality overlap. What have you been working on?"

He walked over and sat down next to Regulus, resting his right elbow on the tabletop.

Regulus took a deep breath. "I read through Oliver's report and it all sounds like a very good idea on paper, so then I started thinking about the intended result and what I know about magic that would make a spell work."

James nodded. "That all sounds good so far. Intention is the basis of every spell; it's just more obvious with some spells than others."

"Right. A spell that I thought of was, well, one of the Unforgiveables," Regulus offered slowly. "The Cruciatus Curse. I've heard that you really need some dark intentions to cast it."

"Yes, I suppose that is a good illustrative example, even if a morbid one," James replied awkwardly. "I probably wouldn't use it if I was going to demonstrate the lesson to a group of students, though. A very basic example is to think back to your first flying lessons at school."

Regulus laughed. "I can't wait to see where you're going with this."

"No seriously, I mean, I know it's basic," James admitted. "But think about the difference between the students who really wanted to learn how to fly and the ones who were a bit more apprehensive. It is true that not everyone shows the same level of magical ability, but you have to admit that the students who were more eager to fly were able to take hold of their brooms faster than the ones who were scared."

"Yes, I suppose that's true," Regulus conceded.

"Well, that's the whole point. The students who were scared didn't intend to cast the spell correctly the first time," James explained. "They needed to get past their fear of flying before they could hope to get the broom to fly up to their hands at all. It's the same with casting any spell, you have to have the intention to do it right or it won't work. Without intention, you'll botch up the words or the wand waving, and you won't have the inner will to focus your energies on the result."

"And you have to know the result clearly to be able to do it at all," Regulus added.

"Exactly, see, you're figuring it out," James encouraged. "After you've got intention down, it's only a basic pattern of wand-waving and saying an incantation and then you're set. Some people can even perform the magic without a wand or words at all; they're just very in tune with how they use their magic."

Regulus considered this thought and then continued, "So, you're saying that the words and the wand don't matter as much as the thought behind it?"

"Yes, sort of, but it takes an extremely powerful wizard to be able to perform magic without a focusing tool," James warned. "We're all capable of doing it, of course, just not of controlling what we do. Most witches and wizards do it all the time when they are angry or scared, before they go to Hogwarts or another magical school at least."

Regulus nodded. "Right, that makes sense. Why don't they ever teach us this in school? It might make it easier to learn."

"Perhaps, but it might confuse a lot of the Muggle-borns," James pointed out. "For someone just starting at school, it's enough to get used to the fact that they can do magic. To go and explain the entire thought process behind magical theory would be a bit over the top."

"So I know the intended result," Regulus said, getting the conversation back on track. "I was wondering, how necessary is familiarity for spell work?"

"That's another key issue," James acknowledged. "A good example is Apparition. You really have to be familiar with where you're going in order to end up in proper working order. Or, consider the charm to draw something to yourself."

"_Accio_?"

James nodded. "Right. Granted, you can draw to yourself things that you've never seen, but it's a whole lot harder than it is to draw something sitting right across the room."

"But you can draw to yourself something far away if you know that it's there and you can focus on it clearly," Regulus added, excited that the ideas were clicking in his head.

"Precisely, see, you understand the theory behind it all," James encouraged. "Magic is both exact and flexible, and it takes a while to really know how to use your abilities correctly. That's why students aren't allowed to use magic outside of school without supervision until they're of age."

"Yeah, I can see why that's important now," Regulus admitted. "But about what I've been considering; I was thinking that this spell would definitely work, but the subjects would have to be very familiar with one another in order for it to work properly."

James thought for a moment and then nodded. "You're probably right, because this involves meshing the magic of two different people. It would be difficult for two people who don't know one another well to be able to cast it properly; or at least, it would be hard for them to be able to hold the spell long enough to achieve the intended result."

"Exactly what I was thinking," Regulus replied. "So, if what we've been talking about is true, all we really need to do is think of a way to focus the attention and magic for the caster of the spell and it should work, as long as we have the right focus?"

"In theory," James agreed. "The simplest way of casting this spell would be for the two people to each cast it and then direct their magic toward one another, saying another word that would combine the magic."

"It's just that direction that I'm having a hard time figuring out," Regulus admitted. "But it is comforting to know that my thought process makes sense."

"Very much so, I'd say that you're a natural at this," James replied. "I had a lot of the same ideas, and I've been trying to come up with a focusing tool as well. Lily and I spoke earlier about the potential of mirroring actions, where the two casters do the same thing exactly opposite one another."

Regulus furrowed an eyebrow. "But aren't we trying to create spells for battle situations? That would waste a lot of time, if our intended result is to cast a spell between two people under pressure."

James agreed, "Yes, and that's why we scrapped the idea. She's off looking up Latin words that have to do with combination, and I'm considering a way to direct wand movements in a simple way that will still allow the mind to channel the magic properly."

"Between the three of us, I think we have something that will work out," Regulus said with satisfaction. "What do you think Oliver, Thomas, and Jacks will say?"

"I think they'll be in favour of it," James replied. "We've done enough background research that we should be able to start experimentation sometime soon. Have you talked to Lily about the familiarity concept, by the way? Your ideas very much echoed hers."

Regulus laughed. "She stole them from me, that's why. We had a conversation sometime last week about it and I pointed out the familiarity concept."

"Well, she's taken it to heart," James replied. "I'm glad that we all work together so well. We'll be able to do a lot for the Aurors, and the other defence forces."

"I suppose we will," Regulus agreed. "Well, it's getting late. I'm going to finish up here, and I'll see you in the morning."

James nodded and Regulus packed up to leave. The knowledge that both James Finch and Lily were researching ways to focus magic made him more confident in his ability to explain his portion of the ideas. It was a bit annoying that Lily had taken his ideas without telling him, but he had to admit that it was cunning of her to do so. He was just about to walk out the front doors when he heard her voice calling.

"Regulus! James Finch told me that you had a conversation," she said, somewhat breathless.

He turned around and teased her. "Yeah, he told me that you're trying to steal all of my hard work."

"Well, I never meant it to be like that," she replied indignantly. "I just thought I would share part of the thought process behind what I was thinking about and I did mean to tell him that they were your ideas eventually, I …"

He laughed. "It's admirable, Lily, exactly something I would have done anyway. I was trying to figure out what you were on to when James found me frustrated in the work room. You've more Slytherin in you than you realize."

She gave him a curious look and said, "I'm not sure about that, but I was going to find you today and see if we could mesh our presentations together tomorrow so that everyone gets proper credit for their work. I see that James got to you first, though."

"It's nothing, don't think on it," he replied. "I'll see you in the morning."

* * *

Regulus felt his left arm burn late in the evening as he was washing up the dishes from supper and nearly fell over from the shock. Was there a meeting he had forgotten about? He could not remember Severus or Barty mentioning such a gathering, but the pain was so incredible that he was unable to ignore it. He let go of his thoughts and concentrated on where he was supposed to go and saw in his mind's eye a familiar forest site. He realized that it was where he had pledged his loyalty to the Dark Lord, and wondered if it was he himself who was beckoning Regulus through the tattoo. Regulus thought about that night and tried to remember all the details about the area that he could, and then Apparated to the clearing.

He heard the Dark Lord's slippery voice from behind. "Welcome, my loyal servant."

"My lord," Regulus began as he turned around and bowed his head toward the ground in what he hoped was a sign of respect. "Thank you for calling me here. What is your will?"

The Dark Lord motioned for Regulus to come forward and he did, feeling small as he remembered that he was several inches shorter than this man who was not quite a man, whose appearance was altered so much that he seemed more mythical than real. The nostrils of the man clothed in dark robes seemed to flare with pleasure at Regulus' submission and he suppressed a shudder that threatened to reveal his fear.

It would not do to appear incompetent now. He had to show the Dark Lord that he was ready, and he was able.

"Severus tells me that you have made great progress in your work at the Department," the Dark Lord noted. "I am very pleased to hear this, and also to hear of your loyalty to our cause, even in the face of adversity from those you consider close friends and family."

"My lord, these actions are nothing," Regulus immediately assured. "I am ready to do your bidding in any circumstance. Has Severus told you of our plans for the mission in November?"

The Dark Lord seemed to smirk and he said, "Severus did explain to me your discussions on this matter. Your team is an integral part of this mission, I hope you understand that. I need you to do your best for this to succeed."

"I always do my best for you, my Lord," Regulus assured. "It is my desire to complete my tasks with diligence and to the best of my ability."

"I know, my faithful servant," the Dark Lord said, sending a wave of reassurance through Regulus. "That is why I decided you had earned this meeting with me. I am hoping to bring you closer into my plans for the future."

Regulus was speechless. The Dark Lord desired that _he_ be privy to his plans? He wished Regulus to be involved in the larger project? It was almost too good to be true.

"Th-thank you, my lord," Regulus stammered, and then decided to emphasize his subservience with a bow. "I am so honoured that you would choose me to be one of your closest, most trusted servants and that you see how ardently I am working to gain your trust."

"Oh, but I see it very well," the Dark Lord cooed. "I want you to know, Regulus, that I might have need of your assistance very soon."

"What is it?"

The Dark Lord began pacing in the clearing. "I am working on a very large project that is important to ensure my survival. If you can prove your usefulness to me, especially in terms of your magical ability with these new spells you are creating, I may let you be a part of this project."

Regulus felt the excitement well up in his chest. "That's brilliant. What sort of project? Who else is involved?"

"Oh, very few people. Only my most loyal, my most trusted are being told anything about this," the Dark Lord replied. "I need you to keep very quiet about it if I am going to be able to trust you at all. You cannot even tell Severus, Lucius, or Barty."

"My allegiance is to you first, over all of them," Regulus said firmly. "I will keep this secret and no one will be able to make me reveal it."

"Good," the Dark Lord said simply. "Expect to be rewarded with this assignment should you do well in this mission, and in your work on Jackson's team."

"I am presenting new research at a team meeting tomorrow morning, research that I completed all by myself," Regulus boasted without thinking. "I expect to be rewarded greatly for my work. Of course, I will pass on all of the credit to you and to our cause. This work is being done for the betterment of our society."

The Dark Lord nodded. "I expect that you will take charge of this team and make it your own, keeping our ideals in mind. It is your responsibility to steer them in the direction that is favourable to us."

"I am already beginning to do so," Regulus lied. He had really been acting for the needs of the team, but the Dark Lord was right. He needed to focus on the needs of their cause.

"I am glad to hear it," the Dark Lord said. "I expect to hear from you soon about your progress. You may go."

Regulus bowed and waited for the Dark Lord to Disapparate silently into a cloud of smoke before he returned to the flat. He needed to do the Dark Lord's bidding, and he intended to do so.

But doing the Dark Lord's bidding meant that he would have to sacrifice the feelings of someone else.

* * *

Dusk was falling as Liam shut the outer gate of his parents' house and walked down the lane toward the town centre. Doolin was well-known for its musical heritage and fall brought out the best of the musicians to showcase their talent as the nights grew cooler and darker and residents and travellers alike sought entertainment indoors.

Kate had insisted that he start spending more time out of the house in an effort to encourage him to meet other people and reacquaint himself with old friends. The problem with leaving for school at the age of eleven was that Liam had completely lost contact with the majority of his childhood playmates. He still felt distanced from those he remembered because of the abilities that he was unable to explain or reveal. Liam hoped that the fall music festival would be able to dull the painful memories and allow him to spend some time like every other normal Irish boy in Doolin this night, enjoying the company of others and the sounds of the music.

A pub near the shore had advertised a new fiddle player on several notice boards throughout the town, and Liam thought that the concert sounded like a perfect way to get in touch with old friends and maybe meet some new ones. It did not take long to walk there and he enjoyed feeling the cool air on his cheeks, though he could feel a hint of a frigid undercurrent that he knew would soon dominate over the light breeze. Winter was coming, and it was coming quickly.

The tavern was well-lit and spacious. There was no stage for the musician, but there was plenty of room to mingle about the tables and also open space for dancing. Liam looked around the room until he saw his cousin Sean and wandered over to his table.

"Sean, good to see you," he said as the older boy stood and greeted him with an embrace.

"Liam, glad you could make it," Sean said sincerely. At twenty-two, he had just finished school and was working as an accountant in Ballyvaughan, but tried to make it back home as often as possible. Sean was smaller than Liam, with green eyes and strawberry blonde hair that he cut as soon as the ends touched the tops of his ears. He had always had a soft spot for Liam as he had no siblings and Liam was closer to his age than Silas was.

Liam met Sean's friends at the table and joined in the conversation. They were all older than he was, but they all seemed to be facing similar decisions about what they were supposed to be doing in life and he was able to relate to them easily. Liam noted that the musician played the fiddle very well and made a mental note to find out more about him in the future.

Before Liam knew what was happening, Sean had drawn him to his feet and was steering him toward the edge of the dance floor where most of the girls had congregated to whisper and giggle to one another, giving him a knot in his stomach when he realized that Sean meant for him to talk to them.

"Come on, Liam, let's have some fun, yeah? You've been cooped up in that house ever since you got here and Silas has been working you to death," Sean coaxed. "Why don't you ask one of these lovely girls to dance?"

Liam shrugged. "I suppose. It's been a very long time since I danced with anyone."

"What, do they not offer dancing lessons at that posh school you attended over in Scotland?" Sean asked.

"Not really, no," Liam answered with a laugh. "Dancing was definitely not one of the commonly-covered subjects, nor was making light conversation with girls."

Sean waved away his protest. "Doesn't matter. See that lovely girl with the brown curls? Her name is Meghan. She's your age, I think. I know her older sister. Why don't you go over and talk with her a bit? Think of it as practice."

"Practice for what?"

"Well, you'll have to move forward someday," Sean pointed out. "I'm not sure what's been going on with you and your family, but you lot have been very silent lately about how Aislinn got hurt, why you decided to come home, you know, things of that nature."

Liam sighed and said, "Well, there's been a great deal going on, more than can really be summarized easily. I suppose it's just hard to focus on the moment when there are so many other things that you have to think about."

"Nothing like the present to keep your mind off of the future, or the past for that matter," Sean pointed out. "There's no use worrying about things you can't change."

"The thing is, some of these things are things that I can change," Liam said helplessly. "Only I don't know how, and I wish that I had been able to change them before this."

Sean shook his head. "Stop worrying, and just relax. I'm determined that you will enjoy yourself tonight, all right? Now, go over and talk to that girl. I've already told her about you so there's no pressure."

"I don't know, Sean…"

"I won't take no for an answer," Sean insisted, nodding in Meghan's direction. "Go on."

Liam shook his head, but smiled and obliged his older cousin. Meghan was leaning against a wooden post in the old pub talking to a few of her friends. He recognized her round face and thick, brown curls from grammar school when they were younger and as he got closer he remembered her brown eyes as well. She had almost finished drinking her pint of amber liquid and he used the opportunity to interrupt carefully.

"Excuse me ladies, sorry to interrupt, but I was just wondering if you lot needed another round of drinks?" Liam asked smoothly, nodding toward Meghan. "What were you drinking?"

"A Black and Tan," she said.

"Sorry?"

"Guinness and Smithwick's? It's a mix of stout and red ale," she replied.

Liam felt himself flush and laughed shortly. "Oh, right. I'm not well versed in mixed drinks. Another one of those for you, and would either of you like anything?"

Meghan's friends both shook their heads and Liam walked over to the bar, mentally berating himself for his blunder. Sean would probably roll in laughter when he told him about it. The bartender fixed Meghan's drink and poured a Guinness for Liam who took both and walked back over to where Meghan was waiting alone.

"Here you are. What happened to your friends, eh?" he asked.

Meghan took the drink and pointed in Sean's direction. "Your cousin had to show them something very secretively over there. I think it might be a conspiracy."

Liam looked over at Sean who winked and then looked back at Meghan's friend. Liam shook his head.

"Sean can be a bit much sometimes. I apologise if you feel patronized," he said.

"Don't worry about it, Liam. That's your name, right?"

"Liam Merric, yeah. We went to grammar school together. I think we were both in the same class when we were eight or nine."

Meghan nodded and affirmed, "I think that's about right, and then you went off to school somewhere."

"Scotland," he told her. "It's a wee bit colder there, and there's no ocean. I tried living in London over the summer, but I realized that I missed being here too much, so now I'm back."

"What was it, some sort of Scottish preparatory academy? Are you planning on going to university?" she asked as she sipped her drink.

Liam shook his head and tried to think of a good explanation. "Not exactly, more of a focused academy for students with special abilities. Let's just say I've learned something completely different than you have for the past seven years, which is partly why I didn't know about your special drink there."

"Oh, this?" she asked. "Actually that's not surprising. This isn't a common Irish drink, and we've both only just come of age anyway. I don't fault you for not having heard of it. I think I may know the school you're talking about, though."

Liam looked at her curiously. "Really? What school do you think I'm talking about?"

"One of Lisa's cousins, Lisa is the girl over there talking to Sean, well, one of her cousins went off to school in Scotland suddenly about four years ago," Meghan explained. "Their family has never really explained what the school is about either, just said that it was for gifted students. She and I were thinking that it may be the same school."

"Interesting theory. I probably wouldn't know her, but what's Lisa's cousin's name?" Liam asked.

"Anna McKinnley. Her family lives south of here."

Liam shook his head. "I think I might know who you're talking about, but we weren't sorted into the same House."

"House?"

"At the beginning of school we take this sort of personality test that places us in a dormitory with similarly-minded students," Liam explained. "The one I was in was for students with a lot of ambition, you know, those of us who want to take over and change everything."

Meghan laughed. "I see, so you're a budding dictator."

"Something like that," Liam answered. "Listen, Meghan, I don't know what Sean told you about me, but I'm not very good at talking to girls I don't know very well."

"You seem to be doing just fine," she encouraged. "I think Sean just wants you to have some fun. It must be hard on you to be back here when you've probably changed so much and this is just the same as it was seven years ago."

Liam agreed, "Yes, there's nothing like coming back home to see how you've changed, I definitely agree with you there. I sort of feel like there's this invisible wall between me and everyone else, and I'm sorry if you're feeling put off in any way. It's just hard for me to explain the things that have happened since I've been gone."

"You don't have to feel the need to explain everything about yourself in one night," Meghan assured him. "We've only just become reacquainted. If you want to explain yourself in the future, so be it, but I really don't mind not knowing everything about you."

"That's fair," Liam answered with a laugh. "Well, how about a dance then, yeah?"

Meghan agreed and they took to the floor along with Sean and Lisa. Liam enjoyed Meghan's company and being able to act his age felt refreshing. He stayed at the pub until well after midnight and left only because he did not want to be too exhausted the next day. The streets were dark and misty as the fog rolled in over the waves. It was hard for him to see where he was going, even though he knew the way home by heart. Grudgingly, he took out his wand and lit the end to see better in front of him.

"Who's there?" called a voice through the fog at the sudden light. "Where did that light come from?"

Liam whipped around to his left and mentally berated himself. What was he thinking, using his wand so carelessly? What if Lord Voldemort had spies in Ireland looking for him?

"Liam Merric," he called through the blackness. "I'm sorry to have startled you; I was just trying to make a little light for my path."

A man of about fifty emerged from the shadows carrying a small lantern and stared at Liam's wand.

"My word, a wand. You have a wand. You're a wizard," he said in astonishment.

"Quickly," he added, with a glance to his right and left. "We must get inside quickly. You shouldn't be walking around with one of those around here at night. It's not safe."

Liam took a step backwards. "Forgive me for not trusting you, sir, but I don't know if that's a good idea. I don't know how you know that I'm a wizard. I was under the impression that there were few magic folk in County Clare. I think I'll be heading back home."

The man shook his head adamantly. "Liam, please, you must come with me. There _are_ witches and wizards here, and not all of them are friendly. I can explain everything…"

"Not tonight you won't," Liam said authoritatively. "_Obliviate_."

* * *

_**Author's Note:** Thanks so much to my betas, Arnel and Cygnus, and to my readers. I loved what JKR did with Regulus in Deathly Hallows! Though my Regulus is a bit different. :) I think that there will be some great fanfiction that comes out of this last book, so I hope you all will stick around and enjoy it!_


	11. Chapter 11

**Heart of Gold**

**Chapter 11**

**By American Wings**

* * *

Regulus arrived at the Ministry of Magic early the next morning and wrote out completely what he wanted to present before walking over to Thomas' office on the other side of the department. He knew he would have to be able to answer questions if he was to convince Thomas that the ideas were completely his own. His hands trembled a little as he raised a fist to rap on the door, but he willed them to stay still as it opened to reveal Richard Thomas.

"Regulus, I'm pleased to see you this early. Do come in," Thomas said as he backed away from the doorway, gestured toward two chairs in front of his desk, and walked back around it to sit. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

Regulus smiled and pulled out a chair lightly. "I'm very eager to present my thoughts to the rest of the team because I've been working very hard on this project, but I wanted to run them by you first. You see, I'm not sure if my plan will work or not, and I just want to make sure that I'm not going to make a fool of myself."

"Well, I would rather hear your thoughts later today when you present them to the whole group," Thomas replied. "But I suppose it wouldn't hurt for you to run them by me now, just so I can get an idea of what you have been working on."

And so Regulus began. He explained his thoughts on familiarity and spells and how he believed that such a defensive spell would only be able to be cast and held by strong and relationally close wizards or witches. He explained that he was sure it could be held over an area or over those who weren't part of maintaining the shield, but continued to emphasize the need for familiarity since it was his strongest point.

Thomas listened and broke in occasionally to clarify a point or to make a suggestion.

"How do you plan on combining the magic of the two individuals?"

"I haven't done much research on what we can use as a focusing tool just yet," Regulus explained. "But I think the individuals should cast the spell normally and then use another spell to combine the magic over the area. I'm planning to look up words associated with combination in Latin and other languages as my next step."

Thomas encouraged him, "These are very good ideas, I'm very impressed. You are ready to present them to the whole group, I trust?"

"Of course," Regulus replied.

"Good. I'd like to start the meeting with that then," Thomas said. "You'll have the floor for the first ten or fifteen minutes, then others can ask you questions and we'll allow them to take your ideas and add their own. They should be arriving soon, I think."

Sure enough, within ten minutes the entire team had assembled in Thomas' office. He yielded control over to Regulus who explained his ideas with ease, trying not to look either Lily or James Finch in the eye.

"Your ideas are excellent," Frank Longbottom said when Regulus finished. "Most of our Aurors are set up in small teams anyway, so they are very familiar with their partners' abilities and weaknesses and would easily be able to compensate in order to hold the spells together."

"How do you plan on performing this magical combination," Lily asked sweetly, though Regulus could hear a bitter undertone in her voice.

"Well, uh, I haven't completely figured that out yet," Regulus admitted."

Thomas broke in, "That's something I'd like to open for discussion. I think we should move ahead with what Regulus is suggesting and take his ideas as the heart of the project."

"Well, Lily and I have been developing some ideas about combination," James Finch added. "We could put our research together and distribute it for others to consider. Regulus, were you planning to write your ideas down and give them out for the rest of us?"

"Of course, I hadn't gotten around to it yet, though," Regulus replied. "I wanted to see if they were acceptable to Thomas and to the rest of the team, but it looks like we're all in agreement about them."

"It certainly does," James agreed. Regulus thought he heard the same bitter undertone in James' voice as he had heard in Lily's.

Hestia Jones broke in. "I've been thinking about a way for others to cast spells through the defensive shield. If Aurors and other law enforcement personnel are supposed to be able to use it, then there has to be a way for them to fight back. They shouldn't have to sit and wait for their energy to drain."

"That's great, Hestia," James encouraged. "Maybe there's a way that we could leave pockets open in the shield during combination to allow spells to go through."

"But wouldn't the Dark wizards notice where the holes were and use them to counterattack?" Regulus asked.

"Potentially, but the casters might be able to shift where the pockets are to create new openings and keep the shield viable," Lily offered. "Wouldn't this require a witch or wizard as part of the equation who would _not_ be casting the defensive spell?"

"Yes, it would," Thomas agreed. "We'll have to take that into consideration and practice with it."

"This all seems to be coming together rather nicely," Jacks said, speaking for the first time. "I'm very pleased. Regulus, you seem to have taken to the concept of spell creation very well for someone who has never done it before."

"I'm a quick study," Regulus replied. "I'm very eager for this to work."

"We'll see about it working later on," Thomas said. "All right, people, good work. Thank you for joining us this morning. We'll meet again in two weeks after all of these ideas have been distributed on paper. Regulus, thanks for opening our discussion."

Regulus acknowledged his thanks with a nod and gathered up his research quickly to get back to his desk, ignoring Lily's stare as best as he could. He did not quite make it back to his desk before Lily caught up with him.

"You conniving, little, …"

"Slytherin?" Regulus asked as he turned around. "They were my ideas, Lily. I don't know why you're so upset. You were using them for your own gain, too."

Her jaw dropped and she narrowed her eyes in protest, jabbing at him with her right hand.

"Yes, but _I_ was going to give you credit for them! _I_ was going to allow you in on the research that James and I were doing! _You_ have taken _our_ ideas and told _everyone_ that they were your own! That's not ambition, that's _plagiarizing_!"

"They weren't published ideas, therefore it's not plagiarizing," Regulus replied calmly. "Relax, Lily. These really were my original ideas, I just talked to you about them before I told everyone else about them. You still have your own combination theory that you can add. I didn't take all of the glory for myself."

She shook her head. "Oh, but not for lack of trying. You just didn't have enough time to figure it out for yourself. I don't know why I ever trusted you."

"Please, I didn't do anything all that bad," Regulus insisted. "Come on. You still have your chance to contribute to the project."

"Yes, but how do I know that you're not going to steal that away from me, too?" she asked. "I just don't think that I can share ideas with you anymore. I don't know if I can trust you with details about my life either. I think you're all about personal gain."

Regulus folded his arms. "Look, these were my original ideas. I talked to Thomas about them, too, but he doesn't seem to be angry that I didn't mention that to everyone else. This has nothing to do with our friendship."

"How do I know that you're not really trying to take control of this entire project and sell us all out? How do I know that you're not trying to sell me out?" Lily asked.

A light suddenly clicked on in Regulus' head.

"That's not you talking."

"What?" Her voice raised an octave.

"It's not," he insisted. "You've been talking to James and Sirius, haven't you? They've been warning you about me so now you're looking for a way to make me the villain. Believe what you want, I can't make you trust me. But don't just assume that everything they say is perfect and sensible."

"Be careful what you say about my husband," Lily warned. "Watch where you put your mouth."

"Be careful what you say, too!" he countered. "Think about what you're accusing me of – treachery, murder, conspiracy! Those are serious charges that could earn me a ticket to Azkaban!"

Lily nodded. "That's right, and that's why I'm not saying anything to anyone else. All I'm saying is that I really don't know if I can trust you, and I'm starting to find more reasons why."

"Well, don't wonder at my attempts to defend myself," he replied. "Like I said, you can believe what you want, I can't change how you think about me, but if you can't prove anything, which you can't, please don't accuse me to a higher authority. I don't want to have to defend myself in front of a court that may not be so lenient just because I didn't give you partial credit when I presented _my own ideas_ in front of our team at work, or because your husband and his best mate think that I'm a nuisance."

Lily stared at him for what seemed like an eternity, breathing heavy and appearing only just able to hold her emotions in check.

"Fine," she muttered. "But don't forget that I'm watching, and don't expect me to be open to small talk tomorrow morning."

"Fine." He stood a little straighter, hoping to make her feel small. "Have a nice day."

She turned on her heel and stormed in the other direction. Regulus shook his head in exasperation, noticing that his hair was getting long on the back on his neck. Lily did not know what she was talking about; she was only angry that he did not credit her with what she believed she was entitled to. She would not do anything to him without proof, and soon these feelings would blow over and she would come to her senses.

_But what did James and Sirius say?_, he wondered to himself as he walked over to his desk. _What do they suspect? What proof do they have?_

Regulus could not think of any proof they could possibly have against him. He had made sure to avoid contact with known Death Eaters in public, and to limit contact with those under suspicion. He was in no way connected publicly with the actions in Diagon Alley and there was no way anyone would know about his involvement in the upcoming Fawkes plan.

_Unless there's a spy in the Death Eaters._

A spy? Surely not, he insisted back at his mind as he approached his desk and sat down to collect his thoughts. The only Death Eaters who had enough knowledge of his activities to accuse him of anything were Severus Snape, Lucius Malfoy, Barty Crouch, Bellatrix and Rodolphus Lestrange, and Nicolai Baddock.

Baddock? He was a possibility. Perhaps he made so many blunders because he was nervous about his double allegiances. They had had to leave the house well before his parents arrived home. Was it because they were contrary to the Dark Lord's cause? Had he become a double spy against their will? Was he, even now, plotting the team's demise in the West Country?

_It can't be Baddock_, he insisted back. _He seems so focused on doing well and making Severus proud._

No, there was no way that the Potters and his brother could possibly know how involved Regulus was with the Death Eaters. They could not have enough evidence to convict him, if they had any at all. He was too careful to cover his tracks.

All the same, he knew he would have to be more careful when talking to Lily in the future. He also knew that he would have to take extra precautions the following week when the Death Eaters' plan was finally put into motion.

* * *

Liam crumbled up the third copy of a letter he was attempting to write to his sister Tara and threw it across the room in annoyance. He could not get his mind off of the man from the previous week. Who was he? How did he know about wands and wizards and magic? He had insisted that there were other magic folk in County Clare, but how come Liam had never heard about them?

Was there some sort of magical conspiracy going on, two rival factions that were vying for control? Had Callum Donnelly accidentally become too involved in this debate? Had he known that there were others who could do magic? Was that why he had died?

The questions kept coming to his mind and he was unable to focus. Had he done the right thing? Surely the man was not another wizard. He had been surprised to see Liam's wand. Why had the man been walking around late at night? Was he a Squib?

_That has to be the answer_, Liam thought to himself. That was the only reason the man would know about magic without knowing who Liam was, because if the man had known Callum then he surely would have known about Callum's grandson. Liam had not mentioned the encounter to anyone, especially not to his family. He did not think that it was prudent to involve them in a situation that might never become an issue.

But he could not help wondering why he had never heard of other witches and wizards in the area. Did they not send their children to Hogwarts, too? Was there some other school of magic that they favoured? What of Lisa's cousin, Anna McKinnley? Would she know about these others who could do magic?

There was a knock at his bedroom door.

"Yes?"

"Can I come in, Liam?" Aislinn's voice came muffled through the wood.

"Of course," Liam said as he rose to open the door. Aislinn walked in and sat on his bed cross-legged.

"Your leg seems to be healing very well," he noted.

She smiled and nodded. "Yes, I've been working very hard to try to walk normally again. It's too difficult to explain. I'm sure you know what I'm talking about."

He nodded. "More than you know."

They sat in silence for a few minutes. Liam heard the insects humming outside his window as the sun crept farther down the horizon.

"I think there may be other people here who can do magic," Aislinn said slowly. He looked up in surprise but she shushed his response.

"Just listen. I've heard whispers among some of the mothers at the grammar school, whispers about things that can't be explained," she started. "Further, a couple of the children at the school have been doing strange things as well. Their mothers are _never_ part of the gossip. Do you think it's possible that there have been magic people here all along and we just never knew about it?"

Liam shrugged. "Anything is possible. The more I'm in this world the more things like this don't surprise me."

"Magic is supposed to be hereditary, right?" Aislinn asked. "You had to have gotten it from somewhere. What if there was a magical ancestor in this area a long time ago who had a lot of children who married into the Muggle families?"

"That's certainly possible," Liam affirmed. "But that's not where I got my magic from."

"What do you mean?"

Liam smiled a little. "Ma told me something very interesting the other day. Grandfather Callum was a wizard."

Aislinn gasped. "_Our grandfather?_ A wizard? Why hasn't she ever told us?"

"I think he told her not to tell anyone. She said that she didn't know about it until the day that I almost fell off the cliffs and he told her that he never even told Grandmother," Liam explained. "Apparently he moved here to get away from something, you know how he was always avoiding people not in his immediate circle of acquaintances."

"Do you think he knew anything about potential magical squabbles?" Aislinn questioned.

"I doubt it," Liam admitted. "He avoided others like the plague."

"Maybe he was a part of it, maybe a whole lot of them came over together and something happened," Aislinn wondered aloud. "Liam, what if these people know more about him? What if they can tell us about our family's past? Don't you want to know about that?"

Liam shrugged and leaned forward in his desk chair. "Of course I do, Linn, but what if he didn't want us to know for a reason? What if something happened to him in the wizarding world that he wanted to keep secret? What if he had something that they wanted?"

"I don't know, but I think we should try to find out," Aislinn insisted.

"Have you talked to Ma or Pa about this?" he asked.

"Well, no."

"I didn't think so."

"You know they would never agree to it, Liam," Aislinn protested. "They want to keep us safe and they want to respect Grandfather Callum's wishes. If we want to find out about this we'll have to do it on our own."

"We can't bring Silas into it either," Liam noted. "He doesn't understand magic. He thinks that it's only around to make things easier, but it doesn't work like that. You can't use magic to solve all of your problems."

Aislinn leaned against the wall and stretched her legs to shift her weight. "I agree. I don't know what we'll find as we look into this, but I think it will be more than Silas would be able to handle. He still doesn't fully understand what happened to me over there. There may be blood battles here, I know that."

"Maybe the people who moved here did so because they were persecuted wherever they came from," Liam offered, leaning back in the chair to even out his weight as well. "Maybe they're all Muggle-borns or half-blood. I can't see Pureblood families running away from anything."

"You never know," Aislinn countered. "Besides, it might have nothing to do with blood at all."

"I doubt it," Liam said darkly. "Everything over there seems to be about blood."

Aislinn nodded. "Well, you can't say 'over there' anymore, Liam. Now it's over here, too. This is more than just a Scottish or an English game. This is everywhere."

They sat in silence for a few more moments. Liam decided to tell her.

"Aislinn, you know when I went to the pub with Sean a few weeks ago?"

She nodded. "Yes, you met that lovely girl, Meghan. You should bring her around for supper."

"She's not the only person I met," Liam continued, ignoring the suggestion. "That night it was very foggy. I could barely see anything around me as I was walking home, so I decided to cast a lighting charm with my wand."

"You used _magic_? Out in the open?"

"Yeah, I did. I know it was probably a bad idea, but I figured that I would just use a memory charm if I ran into any Muggles," he insisted. "Well, I did run into someone, someone I'm pretty sure was a Muggle. The thing is, Linn, he knew that I was a wizard. He recognized the lighting charm and he told me that I had better come inside with him because it was dangerous to be doing magic at that time in this area."

"What did you do?" she asked.

"I performed a memory charm," he admitted. "I regret it now, but I couldn't think of something better to do then. I was scared. I thought that maybe Voldemort had sent followers after me and he was trying to lure me into a trap."

Aislinn looked thoughtful as she replied, "He may have been. How did he sound when you were talking?"

"He sounded scared, too. He also sounded surprised that I had a wand. He saw the wand first, you see," Liam explained. "He said, 'My word, a wand. You have a wand. You're a wizard.' Then he said that we had to get inside quickly. What was I supposed to do? Like I would follow someone I didn't know into their house at one thirty in the morning! That would be madness."

"That doesn't sound like someone who is one of Voldemort's followers," Aislinn offered. "But it does sound like someone who is just as scared as you are of others finding out about the knowledge he holds."

"I can't get him out of my mind. I want to go find out about him, but I erased his memories about me," Liam said regretfully.

"Did you see where he lived?"

Liam shook his head. "No, I didn't follow him. However could I find him again?"

"He can't live very far; you only went right down the road to the local pub, right?" Aislinn asked. Liam nodded. "Okay, well, let's just be extra careful to look out for a man like him. What did he look like?"

"He was hard to see in the dim light and the fog," Liam admitted. "But I'd say he was about ten centimetres short of two metres, thinning grey hair but it looks like it was thick at some time, I don't remember what colour his eyes were."

"What kind of clothes was he wearing? What was his face like?"

Liam strained his mind to remember. It had all happened so quickly and he had been so frightened. The details were blurring together.

"I think he was wearing brown pants and a grey overcoat. He had a small lantern that he was holding. Oh! He had a light beard, not a very thick one. It was silver," Liam continued, growing excited as the memories came back. "His face was weathered and deep lined. He had rather large hands."

Aislinn had taken out a piece of paper and a pencil. She made note of the details Liam told her and sketched a picture based on the information he gave her of a man holding out a lantern.

"How accurate is this?"

Liam took the paper and examined her drawing.

"That's not bad, Linn. I guess we'll look for a man who looks like this," he said.

"At least it's somewhere to start," she agreed. "I'll start looking for men like this, and you keep looking, too. You'll be able to recognize him, in theory."

"Should be able to. Okay, let's do this then," Liam said. "I don't know what we'll find, but it's better than doing nothing at all."

* * *

Lily continued to ignore Regulus for the next two weeks, only speaking to him when it would be rude not to do so. The meetings for the spell defence team continued as usual and some progress was made, but the advanced shield charm was nowhere near ready by fifth November. Regulus assured his Death Eater counterparts that they would be in no danger of the charm the night of the mission, considering they had not released their research to the Auror Department. No one outside of the eight members of the team, and respective spouses, knew anything about their research.

He Apparated to Malfoy Mansion in high spirits at eight o'clock. Lucius had asked him to come early to make preparations for the rest of the team. He smelled something lovely coming from the direction of the kitchen when he appeared in the foyer.

"Lucius?" he called. "Narcissa?"

"Regulus, glad to see you made it in one piece," Lucius said as he walked down the dark green carpeted stairway, one hand on the gold railing.

"Thanks for having me, Lucius. Is Narcissa here? Does she know about tonight?" Regulus asked as Lucius reached the last step and walked swiftly over to where he stood.

Lucius nodded his affirmation. "She knows what is going on tonight. She's not happy about it because she thinks we're being reckless, but I think she's accepted it for what it is. She asked the elves to make some dessert for us while we wait for the others."

Lucius pointed in the direction of the dining room and Regulus walked slightly ahead.

"That's very kind of her. What do we have to do to get ready?"

"I'd just like to talk over some of the plans with you," Lucius said as they entered the dining room and sat down at the long table. "I like Barty, but sometimes I'm not sure if he can be fully trusted. I feel the same way about Severus, and well, I'm not sure if Baddock really has his head together. You're at least a member of the family."

Regulus felt a flash of pride. "I'm glad that you've seen fit to include me in your plans. I'm sure we'll be able to lead this team together effectively."

"Well, we can't make it look like we're taking charge," Lucius pointed out. "Severus still needs to think he has the upper hand. I'm worried that he'll be angry if one of us tries to take control. I think that he hasn't considered all of the possibilities."

"Yes, I agree with you," Regulus said as two éclairs covered with melted chocolate appeared on the table before them. "Good choice for dessert, Lucius. In any case, I agree that Severus has a very narrow view of this mission. What would you suggest that we do?"

Lucius swallowed a bite of his éclair. "We need to devise an attack strategy. I don't think Severus has considered the value of a specific plan. There are several key wizarding families and individuals in the Stratford-Upon-Avon area, as well as an Auror training post. I say we give the wizarding families a bit of a scare, and maybe set fire to the Auror post."

"Isn't that a bit destructive?" Regulus asked.

"Slightly, but there shouldn't be anyone there because it's night-time. Besides, most people will be out watching the fireworks for Guy Fawkes Day," Lucius pointed out.

"We could set off the Dark Mark in the fireworks," Regulus suggested.

"Good idea. I'll set Barty on that, as well as on a few of the families. He'll really take to it, I'm sure," Lucius said. "Do you want to handle the Auror post with me? We'll let Severus and Baddock go do whatever they wish and then meet back here at eleven."

"That sounds good to me," Regulus said as he finished his éclair. "Shall we go get our robes ready?"

Lucius nodded. Twenty minutes later, they stood in the foyer with the rest of the team. Narcissa bade them good luck, but took her leave because she had been feeling sick lately. Lucius explained that it was due to morning sickness and said that the wizarding remedy had not been working well for her.

"All right, then, chaps," Barty said excitedly. "Are we ready to make some mischief?"

Severus broke in. "Do remember to be careful and keep one another safe. The Dark Lord does not wish any of his followers to be lost tonight. No one should be able to combat us, but if we do face resistance, we need to take absolute measures. None of us can fall into their hands. If one does, the Dark Lord will not be pleased."

"Even if we do meet resistance from Auror teams, they shouldn't be able to respond with any new spells," Regulus assured them again. "Nothing we have been working on is fully operational."

"Still, we all need to understand that we might have to turn on each other if the time comes," Barty admitted.

"I doubt it will come to that, but I think we're all capable of answering that challenge if it comes" Lucius said. "We're ready for this. Let's get going. Everyone?"

They all donned their hoods in sync and touched a quill that Lucius had made into a Portkey, for Nicolai's sake. Regulus felt the tugging sensation at his belly and waited a few seconds until they were in the garden of the Crouch house, then let go. They all appeared in one piece and so split off in different directions.

Nicolai and Severus stuck to the shadows and headed toward the town centre, while Barty Apparated immediately to his first assigned house. Lucius turned to Regulus.

"The Auror training centre is this way, follow me."

He took off at a swift walk, almost a jog, and Regulus hurried to keep up. They crossed one of the bridges out of the town and turned to the right, following a countryside lane.

"They built it just out of town so as not to arouse suspicion," Lucius explained as Regulus hurried alongside him. "It's under the guise of an archery field, I think. There it is."

He pointed toward a long building behind which stood a large, open field. The sign in front of the complex stated that it was the Stratford Institute of Field Training. As they drew closer, Regulus saw another sign at the door identifying the building as part of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. No lights were on inside.

"Doesn't look like anyone is here," he noted. Lucius shook his head.

"We won't be interrupted. _Incendio!_"

The front of the building burst into flames. Lucius ran around back and started ransacking the training field. Regulus followed suit, but then stopped when he thought he saw movement inside the building.

"Lucius! I think there's someone in there!" he called.

"Well then don't use my name, idiot!" Lucius replied. "Go inside and check it out. We should be done here. I'll meet you back at the house later."

He Disapparated, leaving Regulus all alone.

Regulus walked toward the building and yelled, "Hey! Is there anyone in there?"

"Yes!" a voice called back. "Help me out, please!"

Regulus broke a window and stood back as a blonde man scrambled out. It was Frank Longbottom.

"A Death Eater!" Frank said, drawing his wand.

"_Expelliarmus!"_ Regulus yelled, making his voice deeper. "I helped you out, Longbottom, but now you're on your own."

"What are you doing here tonight?" Frank asked as he tried to find his wand. "Why have you set fire to this place?"

"At the Dark Lord's bidding," Regulus replied. "Go home to your wife. You have no business here."

"Too late," Frank countered with a tone of victory in his voice as several figures Apparated to join him. Regulus retreated to the woods nearby and watched.

"Frank! What happened here?" asked a woman who Regulus assumed was his wife.

Regulus' heard Frank's response, "Death Eaters, Alice. One of them just retreated into the forest. I doubt that he's the only one here."

"Can you take care of this mess?" asked another male voice that Regulus recognized as belonging to James Potter. "Lily and I will head into Stratford and see if there is anyone else involved.

"Not a problem," Frank replied. "We'll fix everything."

Regulus body trembled with alarm; they were going to jeopardize the mission! He had to warn the others. He Apparated into Stratford and then realized that he had no idea where to go next. Where were the others? Why had they not set a more specific plan?

He heard a scream coming from down the street and turned toward it to see another house on fire and two black-cloaked figures outside of it; they had to be Severus and Nicolai. Regulus ran down the street toward the source of the sound and called out.

"We've been compromised! Prepare for action!"

The other figures turned away from their work and ran toward him.

"I'll find Lucius and Barty," said Severus from behind one of the masks. We'll meet back at the Crouch house in twenty minutes. How did this happen?"

"Lucius and I went to destroy the Auror complex but Frank Longbottom was inside. He put up resistance so we spooked and ran. We stunned him, but he had called in his wife and the Potters before he left. I'm sure Potter also contacted my brother and the others in Dumbledore's pathetic organization," Regulus explained quickly.

"So we're up against the Potters and the Longbottoms," Severus summarized. "And potentially your brother. We should be fine. I think Barty is on the opposite side of the city scaring some Muggles. You two get back to the house. We need that Portkey because Nicolai can't Apparate, so don't lose one another."

Regulus protested, "We can stand up to them. There's no need to cancel the mission because of this. Let's continue with the plans."

"I agree," Nicolai said, to Regulus' surprise. "Let's finish what we started, Severus."

Severus shook his head. "Do what you like on the way over to the house, but in twenty or thirty minutes you both had better be there."

He ran in the other direction and disappeared into the black night. Regulus turned to Nicolai.

"What do you suggest?"

Nicolai's eyes gleamed with the glow of as-yet-unrealized glory. "Let's go meet those Aurors."

Regulus nodded. "Let's go."

They stuck to the shadows as they crept along the outer walls of the short buildings, trying to make silent footsteps as they listened for any sound of the opposition.

"I hear voices," Nicolai said softly. They stopped walking and strained to listen.

"Shh, did you hear that, Lils?" asked James Potter.

Lily's voice came back, soft and light. "Hear what?"

"I thought I heard voices coming from that direction."

Regulus could not see where she was pointing, but he was sure that they had heard Nicolai or himself. He grabbed a handful of Nicolai's robes and drew him into a nearby alley to keep them out of sight. Looking out, he saw James and Lily Potter, wands outstretched, searching the street meticulously. He strained to hear their conversation.

"Sirius told me that there have been attacks in Hogsmeade and central London as well," James said to Lily. "They must be trying to pass them off as Guy Fawkes events."

"But parties never get this out of hand," Lily protested. "I'm sure they meant more to it than that."

James agreed, "They probably did, but we'll need to capture one of them to know that for sure. This is bad, Lily. I'm amazed that Frank was able to get away from that one Death Eater."

"Where are Peter and Remus?"

"Peter, I think, has gone to Hogsmeade with Sirius. Remus is still recovering from the full moon, so he's out of commission," James said regretfully. "We could really use his skill tonight."

"So there's no one else coming?"

"It's just us," James replied.

Nicolai rushed by Regulus and bowled him over before he realized what was going on.

"_Expelliarmus!"_ he shouted, pointing his wand at James.

"_Protego!_" Lily shouted in response, creating a shield between James and Nicolai and rebounding the spell back at him. Nicolai dodged it and regained his composure to respond.

"Come on, Mudblood!" he shouted. "Is that all you have in you? Throw something real at me, not just a stupid shield charm!"

"DON'T you EVER talk to MY WIFE that way, you SCUM!" shouted James, rushing forward to protect Lily.

"James! Stay inside the shield!"

Nicolai continued to taunt the couple, "Oohh the blood traitor is protecting his little Mudblood pet! How precious. Come and fight like a real man!"

"You don't have to do this!" Lily yelled back. "Stand down and come in quietly! You don't know what Lord Voldemort is really trying to do. Please, don't stay in this mess."

"Oh, sweetheart, you have no idea what's going to happen here!" Nicolai shouted with glee. "You are going to lose, do you realize that? The Dark Lord will rise and when he does there will be nowhere for you to hide."

"Baddock! You're out of line!" Regulus hissed from the shadows.

Nicolai turned back to respond. "You could be helping me, you know! Get out here and…"

"_STUPEFY!"_ yelled James Potter and Nicolai Baddock fell to the ground. "Cast a shield around him, Lils! There's someone else in that alley! You! Come out here and fight where we can see you!"

Regulus gritted his teeth and deepened his voice again. This was getting a little ridiculous.

"Leave him be, Potter. He's no concern of yours. _Protego!_" Regulus said as he emerged from the shadows, trying to edge close enough to cast the spell around Nicolai as well.

"Don't even think about it, Death Eater," Lily snarled. "You have no business here, and you have no business with him."

"I have every business with him. You leave him be!" Regulus retorted, struggling to conceal his voice. "I'll do what I have to in order to get him back!"

"Do what you like," James replied. "I don't think you have it in you. I think you're just a bunch of overgrown schoolboys playing at things that are bigger than you are."

"Oh really? You want to test me on that, Potter?" Regulus was growing testy. "You really want to see what I'm capable of?"

"James, James I don't know if this is a good idea," Lily said carefully.

James persisted, "They attacked you, Lily! They're trying to destroy this town and our way of life!"

"Listen to her, blood traitor," Regulus drawled. "You don't want to take your chances with us. Give the boy back to me and go home. You can't win this battle, and you know it. You don't know how many of us there are."

"I don't know who you are, Death Eater, but I do know one thing. You're over-confident. You have no idea about the plans we have already set in motion. You cannot win this," James insisted. "If you stay with this cause, your life is forfeit."

"Oh, I beg to disagree," Regulus replied. "My life is forfeit if I leave, just like yours. What you don't realize, Potter, is that if that boy and I don't show up at our meeting point in five minutes time, our people are going to come looking for us, and then you'll be in real trouble."

James spread his arms and looked around. "Then let them come! What, are you scared?"

"James, let's just take the boy and leave," Lily insisted again. "We don't have to wait here. Let's go!"

She rushed toward Nicolai, but Regulus got there first.

"Oh, no you don't! You aren't going to take him away from us, Mudblood!" he said suddenly, inwardly horrified at the words that had just tumbled out of his mouth.

Regulus had just called Lily the most fowl name imaginable for a witch of her background, and he had almost called her that in his normal voice. He knew exactly what look Lily would give him if she knew his identity.

The shock of the realization was enough to make him pause and lose control of the situation. Lily reached Nicolai first and started dragging him gently away from Regulus. James rushed forward to help her with his legs.

"Oh, no you don't!" Regulus shouted as he pointed his wand at James. "_Stupefy!"_

James collapsed to the ground and hit his head hard on the sidewalk.

"Let go of the boy, Lily," Regulus ordered. "Don't make me do what I have to do."

She shook her head. "Do what you like to me. I don't mind dying for what I believe in, Death Eater."

"I'm not going to kill you," Regulus replied. "But you can't have him. _Avada Kedavra!_"

Nicolai's body went limp. Lily dropped him in surprise and jumped backwards.

"You, you killed him! You didn't have to do that! You could have stunned me and ran!" she cried in shock.

"Actually, I really couldn't have," Regulus replied. "I couldn't let you take him, but I also couldn't show up with him and tell the others that I didn't kill you and your Auror husband. Killing him was my only choice. Get out of here before I change my mind, and don't you dare follow me back to where I'm meeting the others. I doubt they'll be as merciful to you."

Lily shook her head in dismay. "Killing is not what I call mercy. You better hope that I never find out who you are because when I do there will be hell to pay. I'm not as innocent and soft-hearted as I look."

"Trust me, I know," Regulus said with a laugh. "Go home, Lily."

She stood staring at him defiantly as if trying to decide whether or not to press the issue, but eventually backed away and placed a hand on James' arm. Seconds later, they were gone.

Regulus hadn't realized that he was holding his breath until he was alone. He looked down at his feet and saw Nicolai's eyes staring upwards, cold, unfocused. There had been no other option; Nicolai was a sacrifice that had to be made. Regulus could not bring himself to hurt Lily, and Nicolai would have told the others about what had happened if Regulus had let James and Lily go.

Appealing to Lily's nature had been the only way to achieve self-preservation. Regulus knew from his experiences with James that while James did have an honest streak, he also did not have a problem with using force and humiliation to get his way. Had Lily not been there holding him back, James would have had Regulus on the ground in seconds just like he overpowered Nicolai. Nicolai had known the risks when he joined the Death Eaters and volunteered for this assignment.

The only option had been to stun James and kill Nicolai. Regulus could not let the others know that he had hesitated when presented with the choice of hurting Lily and James. Only Lily knew what had really transpired, though he was sure that she would tell James as soon as she revived him. They did not know who he was, so word could not get back to the Dark Lord about his inability to hurt Lily Potter.

He touched Nicolai's cold arm and Apparated to the Crouch house.

"Regulus! What happened?" Barty yelped as soon as they appeared.

"Let's get back to Malfoy Manor. I'll tell you then," Regulus replied. The other three agreed and they Apparated back to Lucius' house.

Narcissa ran down the stairs. "Back so soon? I thought you would be…oh my!"

She screamed when she saw Nicolai and ran over to Lucius.

"What happened?"

Barty answered, "We'd all like to know that. Regulus?"

Regulus collapsed to the floor and leaned against the wall. The adrenaline rush had died and he was exhausted.

"It was James and Lily Potter. They were looking for us and they surprised us. James stunned Nicolai and it was all I could do to hold them off by myself," Regulus explained quickly. "They were going to Disapparate with him. I did what I had to do."

The others were silent with understanding, each staring at the floor and breathing heavily.

"Nicolai knew the risks when he signed up for the job," Severus noted simply. "You did the right thing, Regulus. There was action in Somerset tonight, so we can pass off his death as the result of it. I'll let the Dark Lord know what happened."

Lucius shook his head and punched the wall. "I can't believe James Potter is still botching everything up! This is the second time he and that Mudblood have defied and foiled our plans!"

"The Dark Lord will not be pleased," Barty said glumly. "But there's nothing for it. Do you have anything to drink, Sissy?"

"I'll get the elves to send something up," she replied and then ran from the foyer.

"Are you going to be all right, mate?" Barty asked Regulus as he placed a hand gently on his shoulder.

Regulus nodded. "Yeah, I think so. I might be sick, though. Can we get him out of here?"

"I'll take care of him," Severus said. He placed a hand on Nicolai's shoulder and Disapparated.

Narcissa reappeared moments later with glasses and a bottle of firewhiskey.

"This should do the trick, I think," she said softly. Lucius poured glasses and distributed them.

"Well, I guess we can toast to Nicolai," he suggested.

Barty nodded and raised his glass. "To Nicolai. May his sacrifice not have been in vain."

* * *

_**Author's Note:** Thanks to Arnel and Cygnus for beta-ing despite the challenges life throws our way. I'm glad I get to share this break from reality with you and that you play in my playground with me!_


	12. Chapter 12

**Heart of Gold**

**Chapter 12**

**By American Wings**

* * *

The wizarding world was in a panic the morning of sixth November. Ministry members were dispatched to towns and cities all over the English countryside and in London to modify memories and concoct explanations for why houses were burned and people dead. Lists of casualties and missing persons were distributed throughout Diagon Alley, Hogsmeade, and the Ministry of Magic. The Daily Prophet ran several articles about the events, speculating about causes and the possibility that He Who Must Not Be Named was really behind the activities.

The memory of the night pervaded everywhere Regulus went. Alec arrived late to work because he had moved Anna and their children to a safe location with his parents. Lily was busy tallying the absent and sending owls to their families and St. Mungo's, seeking answers. Jacks and Thomas holed themselves up inside a briefing room that was meant to be soundproof, but every so often Regulus heard loud arguing from behind the doors. He kept quiet at his desk, talking to no one and wondering if anyone even realised he was there.

The young Death Eaters had debated well into the night about whether or not to inform the Baddocks of Nicolai's demise. Nicolai had not told his parents anything about his Death Eater membership, and Severus argued that there was really no reason to reveal that information after the fact. Nicolai would be counted among the missing and no one would ever know what had transpired. Telling them would raise too many questions, questions that might leak into the public and reach Lily Potter, who would surely connect the dots and conceivably find reason to trace Regulus to the incident.

It seemed as though time had temporarily stopped, yet was still rushing forward. Regulus knew that there was much he had to do to prepare for the next meeting of the spell defence team, yet he could not drown out the rest of the world long enough to allow himself to think. No one seemed to be performing their respective jobs, yet everyone seemed to be busy.

He sat at his desk, tapping an ink well with his quill and pondering whether or not to make another cup of tea. Alec's twentieth audible sigh convinced Regulus that this was the best course of action. He knew that the added caffeine would make him more on edge, but the boredom of inactivity was almost too much to bear. He was sure that he would go mad if he sat long enough.

Regulus stretched his back briefly before he stood and glanced over at Alec.

"Do you want anything to drink?" he asked.

Alec started and shook his head. "Uh, no, thanks Regulus. I'm fine. I'm working on something really…important."

"Right," Regulus said. "I understand. I won't disturb you."

Alec nodded and turned back to his empty desk, seemingly unaware that it was impossible to be busy with nothing to occupy one's time.

The walk to the lounge took Regulus past Lily's desk. He could hear her muttering under her breath as he approached and his heart began to beat faster as he thought about their midnight showdown. The look on her face as he uttered the fateful, definitive words of the Killing Curse was etched in his mind's eye.

He saw the fear mixed with horror, the inexplicable shock as he exercised the ultimate power of life and death, heard the crack as Nicolai's head hit the rough stone walkway.

Nicolai falling, cracking, going limp…

"All right, there, Regulus?" Lily inquired. Regulus started; he had stopped walking, lost in his thoughts.

It was the first thing she had said to him in two weeks, other than when she had spoken to the faceless Death Eater. He looked at her and tried to think of an appropriate response as he placed a hand absently on her desk. Her concerned face struck a chord in his chest.

"Yes, thank you," he replied. "I'm afraid I was somewhat shaken by last night."

Cordiality and absence of detail seemed to be the best course. Lily shifted her weight in the chair and folded her arms. He took his hand off the desk and put it in a trouser pocket, willing her to meet his eyes instead of gazing at the intricate pattern in the carpet.

"That's an understatement," she groused. "I feel like I'm going to faint from exhaustion, both mental and physical."

Lily still refused to meet his gaze.

Regulus questioned further, "Were you up late waiting for James to get back? I heard they dispatched Aurors and Auror trainees to the disturbances."

Lily looked up and Regulus thought he saw a look of alarm pass through her features, but she seemed composed again as quickly as it had come.

"Er, yes, I was waiting for him to get back," she stammered. "It's not easy being out of the action. I'm used to being front and centre."

_And you're quite skilled at it, too_, Regulus noted to himself, pleased that she was actually looking at him now.

He searched her eyes and continued, "I know what you mean; people tended to focus on Sirius more than me growing up. I've always wanted to be in the middle of something that had purpose and that would affect a wide range of people.

"You want to make a name for yourself," Lily stated.

Regulus nodded. "Of course. Don't you?"

"I suppose, though it's not at the top of my list of life goals," she said. "But I can see why that's something you would want for yourself, and why you would try to push yourself to the top at the expense of others."

Regulus opened his mouth to respond, but said nothing. Lily looked down again and folded her arms.

"Regulus, …"

"Don't, Lily. Just don't," Regulus cut in. "Look, I know I was a git, all right? I should have included both James and you in the meeting about the research, but I was never conspiring against you. I know that my brother and your husband don't have a high opinion of me, but that doesn't mean that it's warranted."

She shook her head. "I never wanted this to turn into situation that pitted you against them. I obviously need to side with my husband; I love James, and if he is against me doing something and presents good reason to back it up, well then, I have to trust him."

"I understand that," Regulus assured her, running a hand through his hair. "I realize that we really can't be close mates, but I feel like I need to apologise to you because, barring our personal history, this tension between us affects our ability to work with one another."

"You've chosen an awfully odd time to bring this up," Lily noted, a hint of her usual light-hearted tone in her voice.

Regulus shrugged. "I botched things up, I know that. I guess last night just made me think about things that needed to be put right."

She nodded and studied him for a moment. "I accept your apology."

"Thank you. I was just going to the lounge for some tea, would you like a cup?" he asked.

"Yes, please," Lily replied and stood to walk with him. "Perhaps later this week we can compare notes again, as long as you promise to let me in on your presentation this time."

"Sure, we can do that," Regulus said.

They bantered in their usual style all the way to the lounge and Regulus was just pouring the tea for Lily when grabbed her belly and her face turned sallow.

"Lily? Is everything all right?" Regulus asked, placing the pot of water on a table and stepping closer.

"I – I think so," she stammered, and then grabbed the table. "Oh! I can hardly stand!"

Regulus lunged toward her and his hands caught under her arms. He pulled out a chair with his foot and eased her into it slowly.

"What's wrong?" he asked in a panic.

Lily shook her head slowly as her whole body began to shake. "I don't know. I've been feeling dizzy and nauseous lately, especially in the morning. I haven't the slightest idea what's wrong. It'll pass in a few moments, I'm sure. The tea should help."

Regulus handed her the cup watched her as she sipped it slowly and colour flooded her cheeks again.

"I'm so sorry," she said after a few minutes. "I'm holding you up from whatever you were doing. I'm really fine, I am."

"It's not a problem," he assured her. "I want to make sure that you're going to be all right. I mean, _that's_ something that I actually have control over."

She sipped the tea, and then cleared her throat. "Yes, but this may be a situation where your help might not be readily received by others."

_James and Sirius…_he thought bitterly.

"I understand. I'll let you get back to your work, but please take care of yourself," he insisted.

Lily nodded. "I will. Don't worry about me; there are plenty of other people doing that already. I'm really a very capable person."

"Oh, believe me, I know you're capable," Regulus agreed. "But that doesn't mean that you can do everything on your own."

Lily laughed, pure, sweet, and unabashed. He smiled inwardly at his success.

"Believe me," she replied as she stood. "I know that I can't do it all, but I can try. Thank you for the tea. I had better get back to work."

He nodded and stared down at the steam rising from his cup as she left; it was nice to have a sense of normalcy in an otherwise anomalous work day. He was no closer to puzzling out any answers, but he felt warm inside, and that was what mattered.

Unfortunately, the warmth did not last as long as he wished. The five o'clock hour struck and he was swept into the chill of the early November air. He mentally berated himself for not thinking of the cold and choosing to take the Floo instead, but it could not be helped. The wind whipped his hair and seeped under the neck of his cape, chilling his insides.

He had been waiting all day for a summons from the Dark Lord. Regulus had been promised greater trust if he carried out his part of the mission with precision. Lord Voldemort seemed to know so much; did he know what had really happened between Regulus, Nicolai, Lily, and James? Only Lily should be able to relay that information to anyone, but the Dark Lord always knew exactly what to say to his followers.

_He's a Legilimens_, Regulus told himself to calm his nerves. _He'll only know what happened if you let him. Close yourself and mind your thoughts_.

But it was easier said than done. Severus, Barty, and Lucius had been too accepting of his explanation; none of them had questioned it. Would the Dark Lord be as understanding? Would he know that Regulus had chosen to kill a loyal follower rather than an enemy?

He had reached his flat and begun to heat some beef stew when it happened – the tattoo burned hot in his flesh. He dropped the spoon he had been using into the pot and stepped back from the stove. Sense prevailed and he turned off the gas and put the pot aside before gathering his outerwear again and Apparating to the location in his mind's eye, thankfully indoors.

"Welcome, my young servant. Thank you for coming so quickly. We have much to discuss," the Dark Lord said as soon as Regulus was visible.

He looked around and noted with some amusement that the room actually seemed inviting. A low fire was burning down to embers in a small fireplace, but the room was small so the heat still pervaded the air. The Dark Lord sat at a small wooden table near the fire, and extra light was provided by a small chandelier above the table. The wooden floor was covered with a dark area rug and the stone walls had no decoration, but they did not require any. A second chair sat empty opposite the Dark Lord, and Regulus walked toward it with some hesitation until the Dark Lord motioned for him to sit.

"I assume that you have heard about Nicolai," Regulus began.

The Dark Lord nodded his acknowledgment. "A pity, a real pity. Baddock showed much promise and I had hoped to be able to use him longer. His father is a member of the Wizengamot, and formerly a Slytherin. Nicolai was working on drawing him over to our cause. But sacrifices are sacrifices."

"I did what I thought was necessary," Regulus continued. "I had hoped that it would not come to that, but to protect our integrity and ensure success…"

"I commend you, only I am uncertain as to how the Potters were able to escape. As you were the only follower present at that moment, the task falls to you to convince me that you acted in my best interest," the Dark Lord insisted.

Regulus shifted as the Dark Lord seemed to bore a hole in his head with his squinted, iced eyes.

"I admit, my Lord, I was caught off guard," Regulus said, willing his voice to stay even and trying to keep his mind focused on a different course of events. "Nicolai and I had dashed into an alley when we heard footsteps, straining to hear those who were approaching. He lunged out and engaged them before I had a chance to get a bearing on the situation."

"So he put himself in harm's way?"

Regulus nodded, bolstered by this clarification. "Exactly. The Mudblood and Blood Traitor knew that someone else lingered in the shadows, so after Nicolai went down there was little I could do. I was on the defence."

"Could you not have caught them by surprise in the first place, rather than hiding?" the Dark Lord questioned.

"I – I suppose we could have, but we did not know how many of them there were, or who it was exactly when we first heard the footsteps," Regulus explained. "I thought we could do more for the situation from the shadows than in the light. Had Nicolai not exposed us to danger, I think we could have."

The Dark Lord nodded his acceptance of the explanation.

"So, I was off guard. They had stunned Nicolai and were threatening me as well. I was also concerned that Lily would recognise my voice if I spent too much time engaging them. I was left with little choice but to do what I did. Potter would have overpowered me if I had exposed myself completely."

"Fool! Do not underestimate the power within you," the Dark Lord cried.

Regulus cringed. "My Lord, please accept my apologies. It is not easy to remember the power that I can wield."

The Dark Lord stood and leaned toward Regulus, speaking in a low voice, "It is not becoming of my servants to fail. This is the second time that the Blood Traitor and his little Mudblood pup have foiled my plans."

Regulus' heart was racing. How could the situation have gotten so out of hand? And he was alone. It did not appear that there would be anyone to hear should the Dark Lord decide to torture him for his miscalculations. It was true that Regulus was to blame for the Potters' escape. Would the Dark Lord guess that Regulus had wanted to protect Lily from harm?

"_Always remember that you are expendable. Useful, certainly, but expendable."_

Severus' advice from the summer made his palms go sweaty. How could he have thought that his explanations would be accepted without question? The Dark Lord was staring at him, waiting for his response. His mind raced with different ways that he could kneel, grovel, beg for his life…

"_Bowing before his feet is useless to him unless you have something to offer," _Severus' voice in his mind said again. _"Today you can offer him something that no one else can, but I can't guarantee you tomorrow."_

_What can I offer?_

"My Lord, you're right. This is my fault. I should not have doubted the ultimate power within me," Regulus confessed, looking him straight in the eye. "But I did what I thought I had to do with the information that I had. I assure you that it will not happen again, and I hope that you'll consider what I did right in this situation."

The Dark Lord leaned forward as he listened.

"Primarily, when it came down to it, I made the right decision. I used the power that I had and prevented the traitors from taking Baddock. Our secrets remain safe. Also, I did not compromise my identity and can still be used to relay information about Lily Potter and her husband. In fact, she and I had a good discussion this morning. We're on good terms. You need someone able to keep an eye on her, and I'm in the best position to do that. There is a good chance that I would have been recognised had I spoken out too much," Regulus finished.

"This is true," the Dark Lord said as he leaned back in his chair again. "But this would be irrelevant if you had killed them."

"I believed keeping them alive was in the best interest of our mission," Regulus retorted. "You need the information that they have access to. Killing them would only have made my escape easier. As it is, I've kept them alive, kept our secrets safe, and maintained my identity. All we've lost is Baddock, and he took an oath of allegiance. He knew what he was getting himself into. Further, I would argue that the information we can get from Lily and James Potter is more valuable than what we would have gained from Baddock's father. They have an in with Dumbledore."

Regulus thought about leaning back in his chair with this final statement, but then reconsidered, choosing instead to maintain the intensity of the moment. Neither man was moving, only staring at one another as the remaining embers cracked and burned down to ash.

"Impressive," the Dark Lord muttered. "It's not often that a Death Eater is able to convince me that what could have been a grievous error was really to my benefit."

"Thank you," Regulus replied. "I act only to serve you."

The Dark Lord finally broke the tension and leaned back in his chair again.

"I can see that you are really starting to internalise our mission, and I feel more confident that I can give you a larger assignment now," he said.

"What kind of assignment?" Regulus asked.

The Dark Lord warned, "Remember that this is not something you are permitted to discuss with the other Death Eaters. When I give you a mission, I expect you to work alone. Is that quite clear?"

Regulus nodded.

"Very well. This assignment means much more than any other because it relates directly to me. I have been doing some personal research, but I am at an impasse. I seek the results of some research conducted by a group of wizards about a century ago. I have traced them to Ireland, but there is far too much going on. I need you to go to Ireland and find the hidden research," the Dark Lord explained.

"Go to Ireland?"

"Yes. To County Clare."

Regulus felt a knot growing in his stomach. "That's where Liam is from."

The Dark Lord nodded. "I know. That's why I'm sending you."

"But, we had a falling out. He's not going to want to work with me," Regulus stammered.

"Consider this a test of your power of persuasion," the Dark Lord replied. "He may or may not have something to do with the research, but you're sure to have greater success if you can convince him to help you."

Regulus shook his head. "Liam doesn't know anything about magic in Clare. He's never met any witches or wizards, and his family has no magical history. With all due respect, I don't think he's of any use to you."

"Right, regardless, I expect you to go to Ireland and complete this research. My lead is a man, Donnelly, who moved to Clare eighty years ago," the Dark Lord finished. "I expect results. Do not fail me in this."

"Don't I even get to know what the research is about?" Regulus asked. "And what about my job? What am I to tell the Ministry?"

The Dark Lord rattled off the answers, "It is almost time for the Christmas holidays. You will ask for the entire month of December off and go to Ireland during that time. Explain that you have some sort of family emergency that you need to attend to. If you need more time, you can rely on that excuse. I will give you more information in the coming weeks."

The assignment did not seem like a mission at all, only indulging the Dark Lord's erratic whims. What kind of research could he be doing, and how could this surely dead wizard Donnelly help? It felt like a step back, like he was being asked to do the dirty work for a mission that had no value and that would make little difference in the world. His heart sank as he thought about the valuable time he would miss at work when he could be working with Jacks or charming Lily for more information. What was the Dark Lord thinking?

"Do you doubt me, Regulus?" the Dark Lord's voice drew him back to the moment.

"Doubt? Of course not," Regulus replied. "My life is to serve you, and so to do whatever you would have me do."

"But you thought that you would be able to do something more daring, did you not?"

Regulus sighed. "Yes, that was what I had hoped for."

"You have to trust me," the Dark Lord said. "You want glory, and whether you believe it or not, this assignment will help you get it. It's important to me, not just another reconnaissance mission or brute torture. It also plays to your strengths. Why would I ask you to do something for me that I did not think you were capable of? I am only trying to help you realize your potential, and this is an assignment that allows you to work with me directly."

"So you didn't just choose me because of Liam?" Regulus asked hesitantly.

The Dark Lord shook his head. "Oh, no, I chose you specifically."

There was nothing for it. He was committed to serving the Dark Lord, and today, this was what serving the Dark Lord meant.

"I will do my best, my Lord, count on it," Regulus said.

* * *

The November days dragged on, reacquainting Liam with autumn on the sea. He had not spent a fall in Doolin since he was ten years old. He had forgotten how the smell of the salty air from the ocean mixed with the scent of the falling leaves, and how the swirling reds, browns, yellows, and oranges mixed with the early morning and late evening fog. He had forgotten the stillness of the first snow as the flakes hit the lapping waves on the rocks, forgotten how the lighthouses shone on as the days grew shorter, providing a constant source of light, steady through the passage of time. The pinpricks of light continued to blink on the point, cutting through the haze that seemed to cover every inch of his existence, yet remained tantalisingly distant. Their peace seemed to elude him, despite his efforts.

Every time he thought he had made a breakthrough, he found himself back at the beginning. Leaving school had only brought a world of challenges that had culminated in bringing him home to Ireland. Coming home had brought him back to his boyhood town and his father's boats. Attempting to move on had only brought the elusive man with the lantern. Each passing calendar day without success made Liam wonder if he had only imagined the man in the fog. It had been a late night; could it have really been a dream?

But Aislinn's experiences could not be ignored. Liam visited her at the grammar school and spent some time with the children she suspected were able to do magic. He did not have the skills to perform the proper tests on their abilities, but he saw enough to corroborate her suspicions. There was surely something different about the children in question, and magic was a likely suspect, yet every time he got close to solving the puzzle with them, they seemed to retreat back into their normal childlike persona. None of the children ever overtly acted like a fledgling witch or wizard, and he did not dare try to goad them into using their abilities. Some things were better left to time.

Silas assigned Liam to oversee winter maintenance for some of the older boats and recommend the proper repairs. Most of them were minor, but several of the boats had to be taken to a local shipyard. Liam waited in Ballyvaughan until well after dark one mid-November evening to finish the paperwork with the shipyard agent, putting off the hour-long drive home.

While the quiet of the empty warehouse was normally inviting after the bustle of a long day, on this particular night Liam felt a sense of foreboding. He could not seem to shake his head clear of his midnight encounter from a month earlier. He passed the time reviewing shipping charts and repairing frayed lines, laughing at himself as he realized how far he had come in just three months. Liam was well on his way to becoming a professional seaman just like his father and brother.

Scuffling on the front walk distracted him from his thoughts. His eyes darted toward the door and a firm knock confirmed his suspicions; the shipyard agent had arrived. Liam gathered the papers into a pile and tossed the stray lines toward an open box on the office floor. He wiped some grease off of his hands with a towel and then walked opposite the warehouse to the outer wall to let the agent inside.

"Good evening, Mr. Devon, is it? Come on in," Liam said as he opened the door.

The man bustled inside the room, bowed against the elements. Liam closed the door quickly and shivered at a gust of wind and snow while watching out of the corner of his eye as the man removed his cap and gloves.

The man placed them on a side table and answered, "Yes, Christopher Devon. You're Michael's son? The little one?" He had a deep voice that Liam thought he had heard somewhere else.

"Right, 'the little one,'" Liam affirmed with a laugh. "I don't suppose I'm really little anymore though."

Devon turned around and Liam almost gasped. It was him – the man from his midnight encounter. He had the same thinning grey hair, silver beard, and weathered face. Rather than a lantern, the large hands were clutching a small notebook. He was wearing the brown overcoat and Liam noted that one of the sleeves was stained with something that looked like oil, possibly from the lantern. Christopher Devon had been right under Liam's nose the whole time.

"Something wrong?" Devon asked. He was staring back at Liam, who noticed that he had stopped talking quite abruptly.

Liam stammered, "Uh, no, nothing at all. I'm sorry. You said you know my father?"

"Well of course, he's a major patron of the yard," Devon replied. "I see Silas more often nowadays, but your family has been doing business with us for years. That shouldn't surprise you."

"Naturally, I apologise. You look like someone I once knew," Liam said. "I didn't mean to be rude."

"Nothing to worry about. Let's get this done, shall we?" Devon suggested, flourishing the papers. Liam nodded and led him back to the office.

"Right, this way. Silas and some of the crews took two of the boats to the yard a few days ago. He said you were going to bring the bills and contracts?"

Devon nodded. "Yes, just routine procedures. I've marked all the places you need to sign."

He held out the papers and Liam glanced over them before grabbing a pen.

"So, do you have a lot of other boats in for repairs?"

Devon leaned against the doorframe. "Oh, the usual. We generally expect the same numbers from the same people. Sometimes we get more from customers who don't keep an eye out on their boats, but there aren't too many of those on a regular basis. It's a good thing, too, because those always take a lot longer to work with."

Liam nodded without looking up and continued to scan the papers.

"Do you make it out to Doolin ever, just out of curiosity? Or do you live here in Ballyvaughan?" He held his breath.

"Doolin? Oh sure, my daughter lives down there. I visit her quite often. It's a lovely town, right by the cliffs and all."

Liam straightened and nodded. "It is. I missed it every minute I was away when I was at school. Does your daughter have children?"

"Not yet, she isn't married," Devon replied. "That's why I go to visit her, just to make sure that she's safe. You never know who you might come across unexpectedly."

Liam shivered involuntarily. Did Devon remember anything? Was that statement tailored for a response? It was hard to know how to question the man without appearing over-eager, yet Liam needed answers. Devon had understood about his wand and he had known about other magical folk. Could his family be magical? Was his daughter a witch?

Liam coughed and said, "Quite true. I try not to have late nights because the fog can roll in easily over the water. It's awfully hard to see clearly when that happens."

"Mmm, yes, I'd say so," Devon agreed. "The best you can do is to be alert and ready for any potential confrontation. About finished with those papers?"

"Erm, yeah, just about," Liam replied. "Are you going to be down in Doolin again anytime soon?"

Devon shrugged. "Perhaps, we'll see. I went down for the music festival last month, but the work has been picking up here in Ballyvaughan so I may not be down as much."

Liam began to breathe a bit easier. Devon did not seem to remember anything from what had happened before. Liam could let him leave and there would never be a problem. But did he want to let his only current link to the magical world just walk away? Would it not be better to question Devon and find out what he knew? He had hinted at larger squabbles and hidden motives, at a secret much larger than anything Liam had suspected. Was it worth it to get involved in such things again, or would Liam be better off ignoring what had happened and going on with his life?

"All done then?"

Liam nodded. "Yes, everything seems to be in order. Thank you for delaying the end of your workday to finish these papers up. Silas really wanted the project to be done with."

"Not a problem. Safe driving back home," Devon said as he gathered the papers into a protective folder and pocketed them in his jacket. "I'll just show myself out."

"Have a good night, sir," Liam replied. He watched as Devon bundled up again and left. No sooner was Devon out the door that Liam realised his blunder: he had to be able to find Devon again if he decided that he wanted to know more. He leapt toward his hanging coat and gloves and dressed as he hustled out the door.

Liam looked left and right, but he did not see Devon immediately. The warehouse was close to the Merric family docks, but the shipyard was down the coast. Devon had likely driven to the warehouse. Liam looked about silently, keeping his hands in his pockets for warmth. He turned at the sound of a door, and saw Devon walk out of a convenience store. Liam slunk into the shadows at the side of the warehouse and saw Devon walk down the seaside lane in the opposite direction. He followed him carefully, sticking to the walls, thankful for the setting sun.

Devon looked back once, but Liam did not think he had been seen. The pair followed the coastline for a half mile before Devon turned down a side street. Liam hesitated; had Devon turned down the street on purpose? Was he planning to corner Liam and question him to find out why he was being followed?

Liam heard the sound of a car engine turning over and exhaled heavily. Of course Devon hadn't seen him. He would have said something. Headlights flickered on and illuminated the pavement inches away from Liam's feet. He stepped backward and clung to the buildings once again. The car pulled up to the intersection of the roads and turned right, away from Liam.

Liam peered down the alleyway but saw nothing. Devon had gone, but he was not lost forever. Liam raced back to the warehouse and hurried through the process of closing down for the night. He knew that Aislinn would be thrilled at the news.

* * *

It took a while for Regulus to feel comfortable again. Though he sincerely believed in the Death Eaters' cause, there was something about doing work directly for the Dark Lord that made him uneasy. If no one else was in on the secret, what would happen if he failed? There would be no one else on whom to place the blame. It had been easy enough passing off Nicolai's death as a necessity. Not even the Dark Lord seemed to have discovered that he had let the Potters go at the expense of a loyal follower. He wondered how long he would be able to keep up the charade.

November drudged on and he dreaded the conversation he had to have with Jacks in the near future. How would he be able to explain a month-long absence? Work with the spell team had been temporarily halted as the Auror division needed to devote several members exclusively to the Guy Fawkes Day attacks. Regulus had been reduced to busy work once again, and he was not sure how much of it he could take. He wanted to know what his mission was about.

The more he thought about the night in Stratford-Upon-Avon, the more he craved action. Regulus found that, far from dreading another confrontation with the Potters, he looked forward to it. He relished the memory of wielding ultimate power standing over Lily, James, and Nicolai and being in complete control over their individual and collective fates. So what if his actions had hurt them in ways unimaginable? His service was to the Dark Lord, and none other. He realised, with satisfaction, that he was becoming more and more devoted to this man, this _legend,_ the one who would right all the wrongs of the wizarding world.

Yet he was still afraid. But perhaps it was that fear that would make him the best. It was men like Lucius, Barty, and Nicolai that got into trouble, men who did not understand their place. Regulus knew his place, right under the Dark Lord. He had earned this right and it had been granted to him when the Dark Lord asked him to serve exclusively on the important assignment. He was certain that Severus had not been given such an assignment. Regulus had the right skills and the right connections. He had not burned as many bridges as Severus had.

But there was one bridge that he would have to rebuild. Regulus' stomach turned when he thought about the location of his mission. Why did it have to be County Clare? Couldn't he find the research that the Dark Lord needed in Britain? He could hardly imagine what information could be hidden in rural, western Ireland. Granted, there was a significant network of caves, but few magical folk lived there. There was no heavy industry, only farms and shipping companies. Whatever the Dark Lord was looking for, Regulus was sure that the answer could be found elsewhere.

But perhaps the visit would turn out for good. Perhaps Liam would understand the necessity of Regulus' actions, and maybe even see the good at the root of the Dark Lord's plans.

Regulus pondered all of these possibilities as he waited in the foyer at 12 Grimmauld Place. His mother had requested his presence for dinner, but she was late, as usual. Kreacher finally ushered him into an adjoining parlour and offered him a goblet of wine as the mantle clock ticked on. Finally, half an hour after he had arrived, Walburga Black appeared at the doorway.

"Regulus, thank you for coming," she said.

He stood. "Of course. To what do I owe the honour?"

"It's very simple. Your father is ill. We have matters to discuss."

Regulus felt a knot form in his stomach. "I'm sorry?"

"He needs to sign everything over to you before it's too late," Mrs. Black explained. "We must ensure that the estate passes to you properly, and we must discuss how you will take control of the family assets."

"Are, are you sure that it's that serious?" Regulus asked hesitantly. "Why did you not tell me sooner?"

Mrs. Black sighed and rested a hand on her forehead. Regulus noticed for the first time how tired she looked. Her formerly black hair had gone completely silver and seemed to stick out at odd angles from her tightly pulled bun. Her skin was sallow in contrast to her midnight blue robes, and only a hint of pink in her cheeks made her appear alive. Her hazel eyes, so often sharp and examining, instead appeared weary, framed by red and deep-lined eyelids.

"We've tried to do what we can," she stated, folding her arms. "We all have our respective functions in this family. Your father and I felt that we needed to let you spread your wings and that you need not be burdened by these troubles. This day would come soon enough. It's time for you to take your place and assume your familial duties."

"Which include?"

"For now, managing your father's affairs and ensuring that our family name remains held in high regard," Mrs. Black instructed. "Eventually, of course, you'll need to find a suitable bride."

"I do hope that this stipulation is not on our list of topics for discussion today," Regulus pleaded.

Mrs. Black walked closer to her son and he straightened as she placed something on the nearby table with a small thump.

"I know you never asked for this," she began. "I'm sorry that you aren't better prepared for it, but we have to deal with the lot that is given us. You need to take these responsibilities now, and I expect you to do so with dignity."

"Naturally, Mother. I will do my best," Regulus agreed. "May I see Father?"

She nodded. "He's waiting in the dining room. I wanted to make sure that you understood the gravity of the situation. You may not see him again."

Regulus swallowed. "I understand. Is there a notary?"

"Yes. We'll take care of business first and then eat."

"All right," Regulus said. "Please, give me a moment. I will join you soon."

She turned and shuffled out of the room, closing the door behind her. Regulus sank into his chair again and stared at the family tapestry on the wall. He had known that the day would come, but he had not expected it to come so soon. Everything in the room seemed to speak of his family duties, from his ancient silver goblet to the gold locket resting on his father's desk. They whispered responsibility and honour into his ears, and he felt as if his soul was being shorn in two.

He had a duty to the Dark Lord, and he had a duty to the noble House of Black, duties that could potentially come into conflict. But more than duty, he was about to lose his father. Even if they weren't particularly close, his throat constricted at the thought.

Regulus looked to see what his mother had placed on the table. It was a ring, his father's signet ring. He picked it up and turned it around, examining his family crest and the inlaid patterns in the gold. The men of his family had worn the ring for generations. To put it on would signify his acceptance of this role.

He passed it between his palms, eyeing the tapestry once again. Finally, he slipped it on his hand.

The tapestry shifted: a miniature ring passed down the family tree from Orion Black to his son, past the burned hole where Sirius' name should have been. The ring moved to the only name left: Regulus Arcturus Black.

* * *

_Special thanks to Cygnus and Arnel for their beta skills. Thanks also to both new and old readers, especially those readers who know me as more than just Wings. Your curiosity and constant questioning make this worthwhile. This chapter is dedicated to Winglyt in anticipation of her catching up on her required reading list. ;)_


	13. Chapter 13

**Heart of Gold**

**Chapter 13**

**By American Wings**

* * *

Orion Black passed away two weeks later. Regulus received an owl with the news from his mother in the late afternoon the first week of December. Suddenly, his plans for a trip to Ireland seemed to be easier to arrange. Jacks was happy to approve an extended leave of absence to deal with funeral arrangements and the Christmas holidays, especially since the research for the spell defence team had been put on hold. The Ministry had become more paranoid since the early November attacks, and Aurors were working more hours than before. Besides this, Frank Longbottom, Jacks, and Thomas had been given access to more top-secret information, and Jacks explained to Regulus that they had to keep the information private to preserve the safety of those involved.

Lord Voldemort was frustrated with Regulus' apparent lack of access. Regulus, too, was unsure of what this meant. Jacks had always been straightforward and willing to include Regulus on the ins and outs of the Department. He seemed increasingly unavailable, and Regulus did not know if this was because of increased responsibility or increased caution. This decrease in workload, combined with the loss of Alec, made for a dull regular work week. Alec had not returned to work on 1 December, presumably to go into hiding. Regulus still did not understand his fear; Alec was of no threat to the Dark Lord. Why should he fear for the safety of his family?

The funeral was scheduled for the morning of Wednesday, 12 December, and Regulus had arranged for the previous Friday to be his last day at work until the new year. He was spending his last day helping Lily decorate the office for Christmas as both of them had more time on their hands. She had sent him to a closet in the back of the office to find a meagre box of decorations from the previous year and see what they could salvage. Regulus found the box at the top of a shelf inside the magically enlarged closet; he considered exploring in the back to see if there were more options, but changed his mind when he encountered a set of boxes that seemed to have a hex upon them and were bouncing in a subdued fashion, hindered by bands that kept them chained to the wall. Who knew what else he might encounter?

"Looks like we aren't going to have much luck," he noted as he placed the box on the floor by Lily's desk.

She nodded tersely. "That's what I was afraid of. I started here last year just after Christmas and I remember helping someone from the research unit take decorations down. It didn't take very long. We'll just have to be creative."

"What do you have in mind?"

"I've never really decorated using magic," Lily admitted. "Last year, James and I were so busy that we didn't take the time, especially because we were planning on spending the holidays with his parents, as mine are dead and my sister isn't particularly fond of us. She's a Muggle, you see, and the idea of magic is completely contrary to her husband's tastes, though she was always curious when I was in school. I suspect that she may just be jealous."

"Why shouldn't she be?" Regulus questioned. "You can do things with a wave of your hand that she can only dream of."

"Vernon believes magic is unnatural."

Regulus recoiled. "Unnatural? He only says so because he can't do it. I can't think of anything more natural, or that I feel more right doing."

"That may be so, but you won't convince them of that. In any case, they don't make good holiday company, and of course, James' parents are gone now, so we're spending the holidays with Sirius, Remus, and Peter, and I'm learning all sorts of new decorating ideas," she explained. "I'd never have thought to charm stationary lights in the bushes so they would be uniformly interspersed. James is very particular about it. My parents never bothered to decorate the garden; we normally just had a tree."

Regulus assured, "Believe me, we weren't big Christmas decorators either."

"Looks like we amateurs will just have to make do," Lily said. "I say we start with garlands. There's some in that box, right?"

Regulus looked into the box with some hesitation, then nudged it toward her with his foot.

"Honestly? I have no idea what a garland is."

She laughed. "It's a long rope or string for decoration, often with pine needles or cranberries or the like. Let me see, I'm sure there is something like that in here."

Lily rummaged through the box and pulled out several lengths of greenery, but not enough to adequately adorn the whole space of the Department. Further searching revealed a small, lopsided and drooping Christmas tree and several boxes of chipping ornaments.

"It's a start, I suppose," she lamented. "I was hoping to have more to work with."

"Such as?"

Lily shrugged and turned the tree around for inspection. "A larger tree, for one, more ornaments, even a wreath or some tinsel. I guess Malinda's meticulous personality doesn't extend to holiday merriment."

Regulus shook his head. "No, it doesn't, but I think I can help with some of that." He placed the dilapidated tree on the floor and pointed his wand at it. "_Engorgio._"

The tree swelled twice its size. Regulus repeated the spell and concentrated on increasing the size toward the ceiling, then directed his efforts at the drooping branches, willing them to become full again.

"How's that?"

Lily shook her head. "Brilliant. You directed the focus of your spell! We don't need to have all the materials to do what we want, just the focus and the will. We have everything we need already."

Regulus nodded. "I figure this is a good way to practise. Let's see what we can do with these ornaments."

Lily opened the box and they stared at the dull, chipped orbs.

"Do you think _Reparo_ will work?" she wondered aloud

Regulus shrugged. "It should. Your focus is to revert them to their original state. The problem is that they are chipped and a bit dull. I don't see any reason why that shouldn't work, just keep your intention and focus constant and consistent. Will it to work."

She nodded and seemed to shift her entire consciousness toward the task. Her eyes never left the ornaments and Regulus was impressed with her intense concentration.

"_Reparo,"_ she declared. As expected, the chipped pieces reverted to their original state, and the pair was left with a box of glittering ornaments.

"Absolutely brilliant," echoed Regulus. "This is a start. Let's see what we can do with the rest of this."

They set about enlarging and restoring the available decorations, adding flickering lights to the garlands and altering a few to create wreaths. Regulus remembered seeing professors shoot tinsel out of their wands at school and attempted to find a viable method to copy the magic for half an hour, managing only wispy strings of cotton and streamers at first before lengths of tinsel shot out the end of his wand and stuck themselves to the office walls.

"Easy, really," he remarked. Lily rolled her eyes.

"Well done," she conceded. "I'm nearly finished transfiguring more ornaments. We should be able to set the tree soon."

"Right, over by that wall, do you think?" Regulus suggested, pointing in the direction of the lounge.

"I was thinking inside the lounge, but either way would be fine, I think," Lily replied.

"Right, yeah, that would work," he agreed. "It's a bit of a change from research."

"I know, I miss it," Lily replied wistfully.

He agreed, "Me too, but I think we've managed to integrate the theory into our decorating work."

"Naturally, we deserve gold stars," Lily said.

Regulus laughed. "Clearly. How is your house search coming along?"

"Oh, er, fine. Yes, it's coming along," she stammered.

"Does that mean you've found somewhere to live or is that a clever way of trying to get me off of your scent because you've been procrastinating?" he teased, though he had a sense that she was actually trying to hide information.

Lily looked grateful. "You've caught us. We've been so busy that we haven't had time to devote to our search, and James' Auror training has picked up. I hardly get to see him at all."

"Have you found more time since our work has been put on hiatus?" Regulus asked.

"Yes, that's true, we've had more time recently," Lily agreed. "But we're still sifting through the available homes, really. We want to find a place in the country that will be a good investment for the future. You have to prepare for these things, you know."

Regulus nodded and concentrated on getting the tinsel to lie correctly while Lily poked at the ornaments lying on the desk. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her look at him and then back at the desk a few times.

_Here it comes_, he thought. _She's going to ask about my father, and then tell me how Sirius is getting along, and then suggest that I include him in the funeral arrangements._

Regulus had been waiting for the questioning all week, and effectively avoiding Lily in anticipation of it. The situation was perfect for her line of reasoning.

He heard her take a deep breath behind him. "So, I heard about your father. I'm really very sorry."

"Thank you," he said without turning around.

"I'm sure it must be difficult dealing with the arrangements so quickly."

He shrugged and continued arranging the tinsel. "Someone has to do it. My mother has been doing most of the work. I just have a lot of parchment to sign."

"You know that Sirius would help if you just asked …"

Regulus turned around and interrupted, "No, he wouldn't. You know he wouldn't. He'd laugh and make some sort of joke about the House of Black."

"He's not like that," Lily protested.

Regulus shook his head. "He is. He's spontaneous, unpredictable, and ambitious."

"And you aren't?"

"Of course I am," Regulus countered. "In all situations but this one. Sirius had his chance to be the model son and he botched it up. It's not my responsibility to fix his mistakes. The House of Black, and its entire inheritance, is mine alone."

"But that's completely unfair," Lily cried, voice raising an octave. "It was a misunderstanding between him and your parents, not concerning you. If there is _any_ hope for reconciliation, I would think that now would be the best time to try. Perhaps there isn't any for your mother and brother, but the two of you will probably be around for years to come. Wouldn't it be better to spend those years on good terms? And what if you _don't_ end up having those years?"

Regulus raised an eyebrow. "I could say the same thing about you and your sister."

She shook her head. "You don't know anything about Petunia and me."

"That's exactly my point," he pressed. "You weren't friends with Sirius or me when this split happened, you weren't even friends with James. There are bigger things going on here, Lily. I know that you want to see us do something about this, but there's nothing to be done. It's over."

Lily looked down at the desk again. "Still, it doesn't have to be."

"It does," he stated. "It really does."

They were silent for a while until Lily broke the stillness.

"I think the tree is ready now. Do you want to place it in the lounge?" she asked.

Regulus turned around. "Right, I can do that. Against that wall there?"

Lily nodded her agreement. Regulus placed the tree and marvelled at the improvements they had made. The ornaments and flickering light, combined with some tinsel from his wand, gave the tree a magical shimmer and the room seemed brighter with only the single touch. Lily placed the garland wreaths on a few doors around the Department while Regulus followed with his tinsel spells.

"I suppose it's fitting for the spell department to have creative decorations," he noted as they set the last few decorations.

"Yes, most assuredly," Lily agreed. "Happy Christmas, Regulus. I hope that you are able to have some peace in your heart, regardless of these circumstances."

He nodded, feeling her words cut into him with their kindness. "Happy Christmas to you, too, Lily. I'll see you after the holidays, I'm sure."

"Perhaps," she said. "Take as much time as you need."

Regulus was confused by her cryptic answer and wanted to press the issue, but she turned and shuffled back to her desk, ending the conversation. He sighed and went back to his own desk to gather the few personal items he had at the Department before going on his leave. This did not take long and he walked over to say goodbye to Jacks, hearing hushed voices as he approached the office.

"I really think we need to investigate this, Tobias," came the muffled voice of Richard Thomas. "We could make a breakthrough here. There is someone in the Department who is giving information to Voldemort, I know it."

"I want proof before we do anything, you know that," Jacks countered. "We shouldn't be discussing this here."

Regulus paused and leaned against an adjoining wall in the shadows, trying to exhale silently. Could they know that he was the spy? Would they accuse him if he entered the room? He considered leaving without saying goodbye to anyone, but that action might make him look more suspicious.

"We should take everyone in for questioning," Thomas countered. "We need to figure this out. I don't want to continue our research until we know that our secrets are safe."

Jacks sighed loudly. "Who do you think is compromised? Prewett? Finch? Black? You haven't any proof, and no leads on any of them. We've been over this every day for the past two weeks. Let it go. Let's start research again after the holidays."

Thomas mumbled a response that Regulus couldn't hear. He leaned closer to the door and caught the last few words.

" … really, it could be him."

"I don't agree with you, but I will continue to consider your perspective, as I have assured you for the past week," Jacks replied. "Give me some time to think. This is not a happy task, and honestly, the whole thing may come to nothing if he doesn't come back."

Regulus felt his stomach clinch. They _were_ talking about him, weren't they? There couldn't be anyone else they would consider in this manner. How could he have compromised himself? He had been so careful to socialise, to keep quiet about the Dark Lord and his mission, to make friends in the right places. Where had he gone wrong?

"Regulus?"

He practically jumped a metre. Richard Thomas towered over him, Jacks lingering by the door to his office.

"Er, hello. I was just coming to let you know that I'm on my way out," Regulus stuttered. How long had their conversation been over? They had been discussing him not moments before.

Jacks cleared his throat. "That's very kind, thank you for stopping by. Do send our regards to your mother."

"I'll do that," Regulus replied. "Er, Happy Christmas."

"Likewise," Thomas said. He nodded to Jacks and walked away. Regulus released the breath caught in his throat.

Jacks nodded to him in turn. "Right. Have a good holiday. We haven't set a return date, have we?"

Regulus shook his head.

"No worries, then. Let me know a few days before you plan to return," Jacks said dismissively.

Regulus felt his heart sink. They had already written him off. Neither man cared enough to bother with him. What was he to tell the Dark Lord?

"Yes, I'll be sure to do that," Regulus replied. "Goodbye, then."

* * *

"You're serious? You think you've found him?" Aislinn stared at Liam, wide-eyed.

Liam shook his head. "I don't just think I've found him, sis, I know I've found him. Christopher Devon is the man, I'm sure of it. I had such a strong reaction to seeing him."

"But he could just be a look-alike, or someone could be deceiving you," Aislinn protested. "How can you be so sure?"

"He matches the criteria in every way possible; same height, the hair, the eyes, the hands. His jacket sleeve had an oil stain, as if he generally carries an oil lamp like he had the night that I saw him," Liam rattled. "He has a daughter that lives in Doolin, that's who he must have been visiting last month. No one could be deceiving me because no one knows what I'm looking for, you're the only one."

Aislinn did not appear convinced. She was leaning forward with her left arm lying on the kitchen table, cupping her right elbow, and resting her head in her right hand. Her eyes squinted as she regarded Liam and processed the information he had presented.

"You were all about finding him a few weeks ago, what's wrong now?" he pushed.

Aislinn shrugged and brought her right arm down to rest against the left on the wooden surface.

"I've just been thinking about the risks inherent in what we're doing," she explained. "What if our grandfather had nothing to do with this? What if he just had a falling out with his family? We could be getting ourselves, and _our _family, in over our heads. Silas would never forgive us if something happened to Alana or Clare."

Liam had considered that possibility. "Yes, you're right, but if that's true, we're already in danger anyway. What if we're being watched without knowing it?"

"Do you really think that's the case?"

"We'll never know unless we try," Liam replied. "I'm sick of waiting for something to happen. I've been sitting here for three months, and for a while I was content with working on the boats and the accounts, but I can't ignore the life that I've lived for the past seven years. I've changed too much to leave it behind. This is the first connection to it that I've found here."

Aislinn stared silently at the sleeve of her jumper and Liam stared intensely at her head of blonde curls. He knew that despite her excitement and curiosity, it would be hard for her to jump back into the magical world once presented with the opportunity. Regardless of how she had been pushing him to seek out the truth, he knew that the truth would be a trigger for the past. He was willing to pursue Christopher Devon on his own, but he had to hear Aislinn tell him that it was all right to leave her behind.

Or maybe she would decide to face her demons, too. Liam could not fathom how it must feel to be scarred by a weapon one could never hope to wield or fully understand. Would facing magic make it easier for Aislinn to get past the previous summer?

"I can go it alone, you know," Liam offered. Aislinn's head snapped up.

"I don't think so," she countered. "I'm not letting you face this by yourself."

Liam crossed his arms and leaned over the kitchen table. "I think I handled myself quite well both times I dealt with Devon previously, thank you very much. I was one of the best students in my form and received some of the highest marks in all of my classes. I know how to defend myself and how to fight back."

"I would never say that you didn't," Aislinn answered. "I just want to make sure that you've really thought about this, because once you've opened this can of worms, there's no going back."

"I have," he affirmed.

"All right," she said with a nod. "I'm in. How do we go about finding Devon and convincing him of your identity, since you so brilliantly erased his memories?"

"Not to worry. I can stop by his office to check the status of the boats and then ask him out for drinks," Liam suggested. "Meet me in Ballyvaughan at that pub near the warehouse at half-past five."

Aislinn agreed and left for the grammar school, leaving Liam to tidy up the kitchen quickly and drive to Ballyvaughan. He could hardly believe the decision he had chosen to make, but somehow, he knew it was the right one. He felt anxious, yet content; exhilarated, yet at peace, the way that he felt at just the moment before he leapt from a small rowboat to a ship. It was almost intoxicating. How had he not realised what his lack of action was doing to his subconscious? He had not felt this way since his attempt to convince Preston that abandoning his policy of inactivity was the right course of action.

_Is that how I've been acting, all this time? _He wondered to himself as he started the car. He knew that the answer had to be yes. It was one thing to protect oneself and one's family; it was quite another to vanish and isolate oneself from the entire world. Liam knew, painfully, that the only way to make a difference was to launch himself back into the world that he feared. Like Aislinn, he had to face scars that ran deep. He only hoped that Christopher Devon might be able to provide him with answers, and even sound advice.

* * *

"All right, little brother?" Silas greeted Liam as he entered the office.

Liam nodded. "Just fine. Have you heard anything from Devon about the repairs?"

Silas shook his head. "Not since last week. I was planning on going over there myself to check the progress."

"Would you like me to go for you? Liam asked. "I wouldn't mind walking over there."

Silas rubbed the stubble on his chin. "Yeah, I suppose that would be quite helpful, if you wouldn't mind."

Liam nodded. "Not in the least. I'll prepare the paperwork and go later this afternoon."

"Brilliant," Silas replied. "That will be a big help, not that I should be surprised. You've been an enormous help this season. I don't know if I could do it without you anymore."

A wave of guilt passed through Liam, but he pushed it away. "You're welcome. I know I haven't provided _that_ much help. I've probably done more harm than good with everything I've botched, but I try. How're Clare and Alana?"

"Lovely, as always," Silas gushed. "We took Clare up to the cliffs the other day. She had a hard time understanding that the miniature ships in the water were actually the big ships that she sees all the time."

Liam grinned. "It's great watching her grow up, isn't it?"

"I love it," Silas affirmed. "I love being her Papa, you should try it sometime."

Liam laughed. "You better watch it. I may just decide to keep her to myself someday."

"Well, I suppose I could let you borrow her once in a while, as long as you promise to find a respectable girl," Silas mused. "I can't have my daughter fraternizing with women of ill repute. I hear Sean took you out last month. Did you meet anyone? I met Alana when I was your age."

"Oh, well, Sean set me up with a nice girl, but I haven't really talked to her since," Liam replied. "I've been busy."

"I can give you some time off, if you'd like," Silas offered. "You don't have to be here every day."

"We can work it out," Liam said. "Don't worry about me. I'm going to get to work."

Silas nodded and left Liam to the paperwork. There was not much to prepare, but it was just as well. Liam wanted to spend the time considering how to reveal his identity to Devon. It was not an easy task, and not knowing which side of the line Devon was on made it more difficult. The man had told Liam that there were different kinds of wizards, and some were not as friendly as others. Naturally, this was not new to him, but it still left him dumbfounded as he recalled the conversation.

Devon had been surprised to see Liam's wand, so he was at least familiar with them. Did that mean he had grown up as a wizard? Was he a squib, or had he been exposed to the wizarding world later in his life? Liam remembered the flash of momentary panic combined with surprise that had passed across Devon's face. What did it mean?

_I can't know until I ask_, Liam realised. There was no point in dwelling on the problem if he could not solve it, but he found his mind returning to the conundrum whenever he had a spare moment. He was restless by half past three, but knew that he could not leave until four. He had to catch Devon at just the right moment before the end of the workday in order to convince him to go to the pub for a drink.

He tapped his pencil on the desk in a rhythmic pattern, matching the ticking of the office clock, a tap for every beat of his heart as he tried to keep his anxiety at bay.

"Are you going to go over, then?" Silas asked at a quarter until four, a note of annoyance in his voice. "It's a bit of a walk."

"Right, I know, I'm finishing up my paperwork for the visit."

"Not a problem, just wanted to make sure you remembered. I'm going to walk on home. Alana is meeting some friends tonight and I want to make sure to distract Clare well in advance."

Liam nodded, distracted. "Bye."

The clock finally chimed four. Liam threw on his overcoat and shuffled briskly out the door. The warehouse was located on the other side of the harbour. He crossed the street to walk by the water, a glassy green on this overcast day. The tide was starting to come back in and the ships rocked, their masts eerily reflected and distorted in the waves. There was just a bit of orange and yellow from the sun, now close to the line of the horizon.

Far from being full of activity, most of the boats had already come in for the day, their masters either packing up to go home or already gone. Liam could smell fresh fish being cleaned in some of the warehouses as he walked by and thought that he would have to pick some up for his mother the next day. As he meant to convince Devon to eat with him tonight, he knew that the fish would not keep, since he could not guess how long the fish would be off ice.

The ship repair company owned several stretches of space along the harbour, and Devon's office was not located in the building closest to the water. It took Liam some extra time to compensate for this error, but not long. He caught Devon just as he was packing up to leave.

"Mr. Devon? I wonder if I might have a word."

The man straightened and turned around.

"Ah, Liam Merric. Yes, do come in. Silas said he might be coming by sometime this week, but did not suggest that you would be as well." He pointed to an empty chair opposite his desk. Liam nodded and sat down.

"Thank you. I offered to come in his place," he explained. "How are the boats?"

Devon leaned against his desk and folded his arms. "They're coming along quite nicely. I saw them yesterday, and I think that you'll both be quite pleased with the improvements. I honestly can't think of anything else to tell you."

Liam was pleased with the news, but growing anxious as he considered the time. It was only just five o'clock. He had to kill another half hour before Aislinn would be at the pub to meet them.

"Lovely, I'm glad it's gone so well. Is there anything you need me to fill out for you, a mid-work assessment perhaps?"

Devon shook his head. "No, we don't have anything like that. We generally like to keep up with our clients in person and not on paper. I'll give Silas a ring if there are any problems."

"Right. That should work nicely," Liam replied. Devon was trying to shoo him out the door, though Liam could hardly blame him. Devon had probably expected to be driving home by now. He stood to leave.

"Thank you for all of your help and I look forward to hearing from you."

Devon nodded and turned back to his desk. Liam walked toward the door, disappointed, but feeling helpless.

_What are you thinking?_ Liam asked himself. _Just turn around and ask him if he wants to get a drink._

"Er, sir, I was wondering if you'd like to grab a drink with me," Liam found himself saying as he turned around in the doorway. Devon looked up from the desk, but did not answer immediately. Liam felt his face flush and shifted his weight awkwardly.

"I just thought, I mean, you've done so much work for my family, and I'd like to get to know you better. Silas and my father already seem to know you well," he stammered. "But I'll understand if you're busy or have somewhere to be. I remember you said that you visit your daughter in Doolin often and I can tell that you're ready to leave here for the day."

Devon laughed shortly. "Actually, a drink would be nice. I can only take so much time sitting down in the office. I'd much prefer being on the water."

"I can relate to that." Liam smiled. "How about that pub down the way, by our warehouse?"

"Perfect. That's a delightful little place. Give me a few minutes to finish up here, and I'll meet you on the street."

Liam agreed and left, lingering just outside the front door. He was so close to getting answers! The timing would work out well, as long as Aislinn was punctual. They would have some time to make small talk and get to know one another, as Liam had suggested, before her arrival. Devon would not realise that he was being set up initially.

Liam straightened as Devon exited, placing a cap on his head.

"Lovely. Let's be off then."

They started walking and Liam raked his mind for the best way to start the conversation.

"So you said you had one daughter, in Doolin. Is she about Silas' age?"

Devon shook his head. "No, I'd say about the age of your sister."

"Which one?" Liam asked with a laugh. "Aislinn is twenty-five and Tara is twenty-two. She just had her birthday."

"Aislinn, the elder. I forgot about Tara. She's at university, right?"

"Yes, she's a bright one," Liam affirmed. "Do you have any other children?"

"Just the one. My wife and I are a bit older than your parents, and we had her later in life."

Liam probed, "Any particular reason?"

"Oh, circumstances, fate, you know," Devon evaded. "Sometimes life does not turn out exactly the way you would have hoped. But that does not mean that it turned out poorly. I think life has a way of giving us what we need rather than always what we want."

"I can definitely relate to that," Liam replied. "I never expected to be back here so soon."

"You left school last June, right? Where did you attend?"

"Er, a small school in Scotland. You've likely not heard of it," Liam said quickly.

Devon stopped walking. "Try me."

"I'm sorry?"

"I'm not daft, Liam. There's something about you that's different, and not just from Michael and Silas. It's almost as if …" he trailed off.

Liam took a deep breath. "As if what?"

Devon narrowed his eyes and shook his head. "Nothing. That's impossible."

"Try me."

"You might want a drink first," Devon suggested.

"Well, we're almost there. What's on your mind?" Liam pressed. They were about twenty metres from the door of the pub, and he could see Aislinn loitering outside.

Devon appeared uncomfortable. "It's a bit complicated to explain, and I won't pretend to understand all of it, but some of my wife's relatives have been, well, just a bit _different_, and you just remind me of them, that's all. Forget I even mentioned it."

"All right, I'll spell it out for you," Liam offered. "I think that we're referring to the same thing. I'm a wizard."

A flash of recognition and fear passed across Devon's features as his eyes widened, but the look was gone as quickly as it had come.

"And you've met me before," Liam admitted.

Devon looked puzzled. "Of course I have. You're Michael's son."

Liam shook his head. "No, we met in mid-October. I was walking home from a pub in Doolin and it was foggy so I used my wand to light my path, and I ran into you. You were wearing that same coat and carrying a lantern. I startled you, and you were amazed by my wand. You said so and wanted me to come with you. You seemed afraid of something, and I was afraid of you, too, and I'm very sorry, but I erased your memories of me."

The words were tumbling out of his mouth before he could stop to think, but there was no turning back. Regardless of whose side Devon was on, Liam was now fully committed to seeing his declaration through. He saw Aislinn approaching out of the corner of his eye, and he pressed on with his garbled explanation.

"I'd never have told you if I didn't think it was important, but I can't get the encounter out of my mind. There are things going on here that just do not make sense, and then there's my own family past that is somewhat of a mystery to me.

"That night you, well, you said that there were good wizards and bad wizards. I was under the impression that I was the _only_ wizard, at least in Clare and Galway. The school I was referring to is Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, in Scotland. It's a school for neophyte wizards and witches, like me."

Aislinn was almost by Liam's side. Devon's eyes were bugging out with shock. Liam ran a hand through his hair.

"Look, I don't know if you can help me. I don't know if you're even willing, but I do know that you have more answers than I do right now, and I'll erase your memories again if that's what you want. But if you have the time I would really like to hear what you have to say."

"I – I, er, that is to say," Devon sputtered, pointing. "Who is that?"

Liam turned. "Aislinn, perfect timing. Christopher Devon, this is my sister, Aislinn Merric. We're both rather curious about our family's past, and she's the _only_ member of my family in on what is going on here. Silas and my father have no idea."

Devon reached a hand out to shake Aislinn's. "Pleasure. I think I'll be needing that drink. Promptly."

He started walking toward the pub. Liam shared a glance with Aislinn.

"What's going on?"

"Don't worry, I think I have it under control."

"You think?"

Devon turned around. "Are you coming then?"

Liam nodded. "Naturally, I'll be happy to pick up the drink for you." He grabbed Aislinn's arm and steered her toward the pub gently.

"Just go with it."

Devon swung the door open and held it as Liam stepped back to let Aislinn through first. Liam's heart was pounding as he tried to listen to the bartender explain what was on tap and finally settled with a dark ale. Aislinn and Devon made small talk as they settled in to a table at the back of the pub, but their chatter barely registered in his mind. His thoughts were anywhere but on the conversation.

"Liam?" Devon's voice called him back to reality. "Would you like to continue the conversation we began outside?"

Liam glanced over at the older man and his sister staring at him quizzically.

"Right, right, sorry. I had just asked you your opinion on the whole matter, and then Aislinn walked up," Liam reviewed.

Devon nodded. "Precisely. Now, I want you both to know that I really have no idea what kind of information you're looking for. You seem harmless enough, and genuinely curious. I don't feel like you mean me any harm, so I'm going to take a risk here."

"You won't regret it."

"Let's hope." Devon gritted his teeth. "All right. Here it is, all that I know about magic. My wife's father disappeared when she was five years old. Her mother knew that he was a wizard, he had been very up front about his special _abilities_, but she had no idea that he was engaged in so-called dark magic. He had been working on something in secret, something that no one was supposed to know about, and he had recruited other wizards in the area to help him.

"I don't know much more about his work, all I know is that one of his partners was a younger cousin. He had moved to Ireland with his brother after they finished school at your magic academy and he showed a lot of promise, but he was not quite keen on the idea of whatever my father-in-law was researching. He backed out and disappeared from our radar, at least. Better for him. Whatever my father-in-law had been researching went horribly wrong a few years later. There was an explosion in his workshop and my mother-in-law ran out to look for him, but he was gone."

He took a drink, grimacing at the bitter taste of whatever he had ordered.

"My wife never displayed any sort of magical ability, nor has our daughter, so I'm happy about that. We've generally tried to keep a low profile, so I'm rather surprised at your story of my actions when I was in Doolin, but it's not impossible. I suppose that that is exactly how I would react if I were walking on the street at midnight in the fog and I saw a wand light up. We've lived in fear that my father-in-law would come looking for us for years."

"So that's what you mean about there being good wizards and bad wizards," Liam broke in. "This controversy over research?"

Devon nodded. "I'm sure there was more to it than that, but that's all that my wife knows, or at least, all that she's seen fit to tell me."

"What's her maiden name?" Aislinn wondered aloud. "You see, there have been several disturbances in the grammar school where I work and I wonder if they are of any relation to you."

"Donnelly."

Liam choked on his ale. "I'm sorry, what?"

Devon furrowed his eyebrows. "Donnelly. Does that name mean anything to you?"

"It's our mother's maiden name, and her father was a wizard," Aislinn whispered. "A wizard who moved to Ireland with his brother and kept as low a profile as anyone I've ever met. A wizard who did not even tell his own daughter what he was until magic started manifesting in Liam when he was little."

"You're quite sure about all of that?" Devon questioned, incredulous. "That would mean that we're of some distant relation, by marriage, if nothing else."

Liam took a deep breath. "Oh yes, we're quite sure."

* * *

Orion Black's funeral, and Regulus' trip to Ireland, grew closer more quickly than Regulus had expected. He was not quite sure what had happened to his weekend. On Saturday, he had felt like he had so much time before he needed to board the plane on Wednesday afternoon, but he was reaching a state of panic by Monday. Regulus had no idea how he was supposed to find information about this mysterious Donnelly. He could tell that the Dark Lord was being very careful not to reveal too much information about what he was looking for, and that only made Regulus' job more difficult. The Irishman had taught at Hogwarts briefly when the Dark Lord was a student, and Voldemort was sure that Donnelly had to be alive.

Regulus was not so sure. Desmond Donnelly had a clear trail up until the point that he moved to Ireland. He had been third in his class, and a member of Slytherin house, and he had been obsessed with the Dark Arts and developing deadly potions. This obsession was what led to his downfall as a Hogwarts instructor. Some of his research descriptions made Regulus sick to his stomach. Yet, he had no published research, no personal paper trail beyond mentions in the Daily Prophet and in Hogwarts and Ministry personnel files. Donnelly seemed to have been very good at disguising himself.

The whole situation was only exacerbated by the disappearance of Richard Thomas. He had not been seen since Friday night, and Regulus jumped every time someone mentioned his name. He felt that it was only a matter of time before Jacks came forward and accused Regulus of kidnapping, and what defence would he have? Surely Jacks would point to his eavesdropping and say that Regulus had been trying to cover his tracks.

It was essential that he leave the country, but not before checking in with Severus. It was the first time that the men had met for drinks since Baddock's death, and they had decided to meet at the Leaky Cauldron to discourage rumours about Regulus' allegiances, just to be safe.

Regulus arrived early and found a table in the back of the pub, sipping his lager slowly and watching the customers in the crowded room.

_Two more days_, he reminded himself. _I can make it through Tuesday and Wednesday. They would not dare come after me at my father's funeral, and they cannot have enough evidence against me yet. Just two more days._

A flash of red hair a few tables away caught his attention, and he groaned. Lily Potter and her entourage had opted for Diagon Alley over the other central London pubs that evening. He looked closer and his fears were confirmed: both Sirius and James were in attendance, as well as Remus and Peter. James was talking quickly, gesturing animatedly with one hand while he rubbed Lily's back with the other. Without even realising it, Regulus began to feel jealous. It was not that he felt any sort of romantic attraction to Lily, but he always felt calmer after conversing with her. Her empathy and sincerity would have been a better antidote for his nerves than the lager he was nursing slowly.

Without warning, Sirius glanced away from James, still laughing, and toward Regulus in the corner. Regulus looked away, hoping that his brother did not realise that he had been staring at the quintet. He gripped his mug with two hands and tried to steady his breathing before glancing back again out of the corner of his eye.

Sirius was staring right back.

Regulus took a deep breath and raised one hand in a half-wave that he could easily use to tuck some of his long hair behind an ear if Sirius did not return the gesture. Sirius nodded in response, drawing Lily's attention. She looked over and gasped.

Regulus saw James break his concentration mid-sentence and heard his muffled question, "Lils? Are you all right?"

"Fine," she squeaked, drawing her gaze away from Regulus and toward Sirius.

"We seem to have found a friend," Sirius said, loud enough for Regulus to hear. Grudgingly, he got up from the table.

"Hi, Sirius, Lily, everyone. I didn't mean to disturb you. I'm waiting for a friend."

"You have friends?"

"Sirius!" Lily gasped, wide-eyed. "He's your brother!"

Regulus grunted. "It's all right, Lily. He's not my brother anymore, anyway."

"Regulus!" She looked like she was about to break down.

"Gentlemen, there's no need for that," Remus broke in. "We're all civilized people here. I'm very sorry to hear about your father, Regulus. Sirius has been sorry as well."

Sirius scowled down at the table.

"Er, thanks, Remus," Regulus stuttered. "It was rather sudden."

"What do you want?" Sirius questioned. "You were the one staring at us. You must want something."

"I'm sorry. I didn't realize that was a crime."

"Maybe you should examine your actions more closely. I'm sure that there are other ways that your moral compass doesn't point due north."

Regulus could see that Lily was shocked. Her voice cracked as she rebuked them again. "You're brothers, you're family. Why are you doing this to each other?"

Regulus rounded on her, rage building in his chest. "Isn't this what you wanted? For us to have a conversation?"

"You presume to have any idea what she wants?" growled James.

"Maybe I do."

James and Sirius both leapt up. Regulus took a step back, and tripped over someone's foot.

"Watch where you're going!" Severus snapped. "What's going on here?"

"Snivellus, how good to see you," Sirius sneered. "How could I have not realised that Regulus meant _you_ when he said he was waiting for a friend? You're perfect for each other."

"Sirius, please," Lily pleaded, eyes glistening. James turned his attention away from the standoff and put his arms around her again.

"I'm sorry, don't get upset," he whispered. Regulus had to strain to hear him. "Do you want to go?"

"No, we'll leave," Severus stated, his voice pained. He grabbed Regulus' arm. "Let's go."

Sirius shook his head. "That's right, run away. Go tell your Dark Lord that Sirius Black and James Potter are making your lives a living hell."

"You have no idea what you're saying," Regulus replied, fear replacing the rage. He opened his mouth to protest further, but Severus was pulling him away from the table with a strength that Regulus did not realise he had.

"Snape, I can walk on my own, really!"

Severus dragged him to a corner in Diagon Alley before letting go of his arm.

"Are you mad? What possessed you to start a row with them? You're _supposed_ to be keeping a low profile!"

The rage was back. "_They_ were messing with _me_."

"You were the one standing over their table," Severus pointed out. "Try again. Do you realise what you've done? I doubt Lily will ever talk to you again. She might even quit her job. We'll have to rely on Peter for everything, and I don't trust him!"

"Why are you so concerned with Lily?" Regulus questioned. "Don't you think Peter is a better way to get to the heart of the matter?"

"It doesn't matter what _I_ think," Severus sneered. He was about to continue when Regulus felt his left forearm burn and both men gasped.

"You too?"

"Yeah."

"Let's go." Severus was gone in an instant. Regulus Apparated to the site in his mind, the same wooded clearing where he had pledged his loyalty to the Dark Lord. He Disapparated close to where Severus was standing and opened his mouth to continue the conversation, but stopped when he saw why they had been summoned.

Richard Thomas stood in the centre of the circle of Death Eaters, bound and blindfolded, struggling against his bindings.

Regulus felt that the horror would never end.

* * *

_Author's Note: I have to leave you with a bit of suspense! It's not going to get any calmer from here on out. As always, many thanks to my betas, Arnel and Cygnus, and to Utterly Absurd for her inspirations._


	14. Chapter 14

**Heart of Gold**

**Chapter 14**

**By American Wings**

* * *

The sight of Richard Thomas struggling against his bindings made Regulus sick to his stomach. The older man usually intimidated him because of his stature, deep voice, and direct way of speaking. More often than not, Regulus felt afraid of Thomas because of the power the man could wield over Regulus' future and his very life. That fear had been even more constant in the past few days, but he had never expected this. The _Dark Lord_ had been the one to tell him to keep a low profile because of Thomas' disappearance, yet he had been behind it all along. He had kidnapped this man for no foreseeable reason.

_Patience_, Regulus told himself as his mind surged forward. _Don't make connections that don't exist. There must be a rational explanation._

Perhaps Thomas had been conducting reconnaissance and had startled a group of Death Eaters? Surely, that had to be the answer. The Dark Lord would not have held this man without cause; he had to have been the first one to attack. It was not an unreasonable answer. Regulus knew better than most people the feelings that Thomas felt toward the Dark Lord and his actions – the man was engaged in ferreting out answers regarding Death Eater activities and moles within the Ministry of Magic. Perhaps Thomas had been following one of his leads?

_I'm his most recent lead_, Regulus reminded himself. Perhaps this kidnapping, if it was even a kidnapping, was the result of the Dark Lord protecting Regulus. After all, the Dark Lord himself had not even told Regulus to stay low. That had been Severus. They were supposed to meet at the bar as a way to keep up day-to-day activities in polite society so that no one would suspect Regulus. What if the Dark Lord _had not_ told Severus to warn Regulus? What if that had been Severus' way of protecting Regulus from the truth?

_Or maybe neither of them are trying to help me at all._

Regulus glanced at his sometimes-friend out of the corner of his eye. Severus appeared just as tense as he was. He had none of his usual serenity – his lips were pursed in a thin line, his body was rigid and, if possible, his skin appeared even more sallow and pale than usual. What did Severus know that Regulus did not?

"Welcome, friends," said Lord Voldemort. Regulus shivered. It was not enough that he had run out of the pub without his overcoat; the Dark Lord had to call them to an open clearing in the frigid air and then speak in that silky, icy _drawl_.

"I am so glad that you have joined us. I was beginning to think that you were ignoring our company."

Regulus heard Severus grind his teeth.

"Never, my lord. We figured it would be best to keep a low profile, given my brother's close working relationship with this scum."

So Severus _had_ been the one to devise the hideout scheme, but why?

Thomas shifted toward the voice. "Who is it? Who is there? I knew there was someone in the department who was passing information to _Voldemort_. Make yourself known! Finch? Prewett? Kingston?'

"Kingston?" Severus whispered under his breath, turning toward Regulus. "Who is that?"

"Alec Kingston, he works near me, Half-Blood, married to a Muggle. I can't imagine why Thomas would suspect him."

Severus shook his head. "I don't understand. He didn't name you. Did he not suspect you at all?"

Far from confusion, Lord Voldemort looked triumphant. His voice dripped with pleasure.

"You mean to say, you don't even _know_ who my agent is? He's that good at hiding his true loyalties?"

Thomas ceased his movement and was perfectly still. "I was wrong? Who else could it be?"

The Dark Lord beckoned Regulus forward. His mind willed his feet to remain planted on the frozen ground, but his feet refused to listen. Regulus thought he felt the nudge of another mind against his own, yet he determined to either keep the other mind out or find a way to think only of his rapidly-dwindling loyalty.

_I belong to the Dark Lord, I belong to the Dark Lord_, he repeated over and over again in his head as he grew closer to the centre of the circle to stand beside the source of his terror. Lord Voldemort was _delighting_ in this man's pain. Though Thomas had admitted that he had no idea who was the real Death Eater in his department, Lord Voldemort still refused to let him go. Moreover, he had maniacally decided that the next logical course of action was to reveal the true identity of the spy. Regulus had never meant for anyone to get hurt, yet he could only anticipate the look of betrayal and outright hatred that would be present on Thomas' face when the blindfold was removed. He deserved every bit of it. He was sure that he was the one who had put this man in danger.

Regulus put his trembling hands in his pockets and looked up. The Dark Lord gestured toward the blindfold with a finger.

"Remove it."

The trembling became more persistent as he undid the knots slowly, stepping backward behind Voldemort as quickly as possible before Thomas could get a good look at him up close.

"Black? Regulus _Black?_ It was _you_?"

"Yes, dear Richard, right under your very nose. As if any of the others could have been worthy of my service! A Half-Blood married to a Muggle? What kind of follower would Alec Kingston make?"

Regulus registered the voice, but saw only the confusion, horror, and betrayal in Thomas' furled eyebrows and bent stature. The frigid air was gone, replaced by flames of guilt in his veins. Liam had been right, Liam _was_ right. Voldemort was a maniac. There was no logical sense ruling these affairs, and there was nothing he could do about it.

"I – I'm …" he whispered, intending to apologise, but self-preservation won. He straightened and shut his mouth. _I belong to the Dark Lord. I belong to the Dark Lord._

"Yes, you do," purred Voldemort. "And I've decided that you're worthy of the task that must be done here tonight."

"What?"

"After you told Severus about the conversation you overheard, well, I knew that we couldn't take any chances. We went to the flat he shares with his _lovely_ Muggle wife …"

"Don't you touch her! Or our son! You leave them alone!" Thomas' voice broke, and Regulus realised that this would likely be his last request. Thomas was resigned to death.

"Oh, don't worry. She'll just wonder what happened to her wayward husband, always spending late nights at work at a place he could barely describe to her. She has no idea what you do, does she?"

Regulus' mind reeled and the guilt increased with each new revelation.

"I have always been faithful …"

"And now you'll disappear without a trace. How do you think she'll feel? She'll probably just think you left her. It really is unfortunate that my servant overheard you at work. You needn't have died, but I can't have you live knowing who is in my service, now can I? Certainly not."

He wheeled to face Regulus.

"Would you do the honour?"

He wanted to refuse. He wanted to run as far away as possible from the place where he stood, but he knew what would happen if he did. Voldemort had just made the truth abundantly clear – he would allow no one who was not loyal to him know the true nature of his work. Regulus had to find a way to thwart his plans, and the only way to do that was to follow along. For now.

"Yes, my lord." He almost spat the word, but maintained his composure. Regulus hoped that his face would tell Thomas what he really felt about the situation before he followed orders. He could not risk saying anything out loud. He steeled himself for the task and tried to say the spell in the most monotone, uncaring tone he could manage.

"Goodbye. _Avada Kedavra._"

The words echoed in the night. Regulus stumbled back to the edge of the circle and huddled behind Severus while Voldemort addressed his followers again, and then it was over. The rest of them were gone and he was still shivering beside Severus.

" … have to get up. Let's go, we can't stay here," Severus pleaded.

"Get away from me."

"He was testing you. I had no idea what his plan was. I was only trying to help …"

Regulus straightened and took a step backward. "An innocent man is dead! He had no crime, the blame rests completely on the both of us; you for accusing him, and me for carrying out the action."

"Look, I'm in shock here, too, all right? I never thought he would kill Thomas. I was trying to help you."

"Help me? You know what, get away from me, all right? So far, you helping me has only resulted in more and more people getting hurt," Regulus spat. "First Aislinn, then Nicolai, and now Thomas."

Severus clenched his fists. "We've been over this. None of that was your fault, you were carrying out your _duty._ You seem perfectly capable of doing that with a straight face."

"I may be a Slytherin, but that doesn't mean I lack a conscience."

"Your moral compass doesn't point due north either."

"Maybe not, but neither does yours. Stay away from me, and don't go trying to protect me from anything else. I can take care of myself," Regulus insisted. _And I have a better shot of staying alive without you on my back._

Severus gritted his teeth. "Fine." He was gone.

Regulus promptly doubled over and threw up behind a tree. Nicolai's cold, lost eyes as he had fallen toward the Stratford-upon-Avon cobblestone had held nothing to the horrified vacant depths of Richard Thomas's. At least Nicolai's death had actually been for self-preservation, and to keep someone else safe. There was no point tonight. Richard Thomas had died for no other reason than Voldemort's amusement.

_What else was a lie?_

Without another thought, Regulus Apparated back to the flat. He had been doing some tidying up since planning his surreptitious trip to Ireland, though he had hoped to find the needed information quickly. There was too much at stake to risk running into his former-best mate. Yet there was one area of the room that Regulus had not cleaned, underneath his bed; and there was something under his bed that might prove useful in an attempt to discern the depth of Voldemort's treachery.

He wasted no time trying to keep the bed in order – the sheets were promptly mussed and pillows flew everywhere as Regulus tried to jam his hand between the headboard, the wall, and the floor. His fingers felt the crumpled parchment and he grabbed at the paper until he could crush it firmly to his palm. His body curled against the wall as he sat back and took a few deep breaths, preparing himself to open the paper and see the map that Liam had seen in late August.

Regulus opened the parchment, clearly picturing the map he had drawn for Voldemort. He had been too pissed the night that he got the map back to care what had been written on it. He had seen the word "deserted" and that had been good enough. He hadn't chosen to give it a second glance since, especially after the map had instigated Liam's departure. Regulus had wanted to believe in the Dark Lord's mission. Though he was frustrated that night, he still never thought that the Dark Lord meant to _murder_ anyone. Now he was not so sure.

Regulus realised that if he was Voldemort, he would do anything to keep his new recruits loyal. He would even play into their fears and idealism to gain their trust. If Regulus was the Dark Lord, he reasoned that he would have asked a young recruit to draw a needed map, but not reveal why it was needed. It would be all too easy to add more information to it later after the deed was done. Luckily, Regulus' handwriting was unmistakably messy; if someone else had tried to duplicate it to set him up, he would know. There was a bit of water damage on the paper, and Regulus remembered that it had been raining the night that Severus had returned the map to him, but there was no mistaking what he saw.

His cramped handwriting marked the blown-out building as a shop, a normal, average, Diagon Alley enterprise, just as Liam had said. The red circle with an X on the shop was done in a different pen, and the letters forming the word "deserted" next to it looked suspiciously familiar, and yet completely different. They were not written in his own hand.

The map fell to the floor.

* * *

"All right, let's go over this again," Aislinn prompted. "What do we know for sure?"

Liam sifted through the growing pile of papers on his desk. "We've got birth certificates for Grandfather Callum and the rest of our family, and for Devon's family. We have a copy of the marriage certificate for Desmond Donnelly and Devon's mother-in-law. We have circumstantial evidence linking Callum and Desmond, but nothing definite.

"In terms of actions, Callum acted just as Devon described the actions of Desmond's young cousin. And, if this is all true, it would explain why I ended up in Slytherin. Both Desmond and his cousin, who could very well be Callum, were part of Slytherin house."

"But they both married Muggles," Aislinn pointed out. "There's something that doesn't quite fit there."

Liam shrugged. "You can't always help who you fall in love with, and Desmond left. Maybe he didn't mean to have a child. Callum, at least, became disenchanted by what he knew of the wizarding world and abandoned it entirely. It may have been because of our grandmother."

Aislinn nodded her agreement. The pair had been gathering evidence and following threads of information for two weeks in an attempt to make a breakthrough, and though they had found bits and pieces to corroborate Devon's story, they still were not able to prove definitively that Callum Donnelly was Desmond Donnelly's young cousin and potential partner. Liam knew that it would be easy enough to do if he were in London; the Ministry of Magic kept careful records of every witch and wizard for security purposes. But he was not so sure that solving the mystery of his family background was a good enough reason to go back.

"You talked to Ma about Callum's personal effects, right?"

"Yes, and I've sifted through them," Liam insisted. "There was nothing in there that seemed of any use."

"What about his house? Do we still own that?"

"Well, I suppose so. Ma and Pa are using it for extra storage, I think," he replied. "Do you think we could find anything there?"

Aislinn leaned forward on the bed. "I think it's worth a shot. What are you doing tomorrow?"

"Er, tomorrow is Tuesday, right?"

She laughed. "Yes, Tuesday, 11 December."

"Working, mostly. I think Silas wanted me to process some shipping orders. Haven't you got school to be at?"

"It's a half-day. I was thinking that we could go up to Fanore in the late afternoon," she explained. "You could leave Ballyvaughan around three and be there by a quarter until four, and I could go earlier, straight from school. I think that we could get a fair bit of searching in, and we could always go back on Wednesday if we felt like it, or over the weekend."

It was a reasonable plan. She could poke through everything that was available to the ordinary eye and make sure that there was nothing they had missed previously. That would take longer than his assessment of the property for hidden magic, and they might be able to find some other threads of information.

"It's worth a shot, and we haven't anything else to do," he agreed. "Shall we go down and see to dinner?"

Aislinn shook her head as she stood up, and then gave him a parting kiss on the cheek. "I'm making dinner with a friend. I'll see you tomorrow."

Liam nodded and followed her out the door. Michael Merric was washing dishes while Kate finished cooking dinner. Liam took a place next to his father and began drying with a dishrag.

"Thanks," Michael grunted. "One can only do so much."

"My pleasure."

"I'm glad to see that you and Aislinn have been spending so much time together. What have you lot been up to?"

Liam shrugged. "Not much, just doing a little family research, that's all."

Kate cut in. "Family research?"

"Er, yes. We're just curious, that's all," Liam replied nonchalantly. "It can be interesting to trace your family history."

"I'm sure that they're just interested in finding out more about their past, Katie," Michael reasoned. "I'm sure it's difficult for them not knowing much about your father and everything. He was a complex and private man."

"You have no idea," Kate muttered.

Michael acted as if he had not even registered her comment, reaching for a large pan that Kate had just finished using. Liam had reasoned that Michael knew nothing of Callum's secret life, but it was then that the full gravity of that truth finally meant something. Kate had gone to great lengths to keep Callum's secret, even from her husband. Was she hiding some crucial piece of information?

Only time would tell, and time seemed to pass quickly. Liam finished his work for Silas in record time the next day and was soon on the road to Fanore. The town was just up the coast from Doolin, but it was not along his usual route home. There was an inland highway from Doolin to Ballyvaughan that the Merric family took because it was faster than driving along the coastal road, but the coastal road was certainly beautiful. Liam put the car in gear and enjoyed the hum of the engine as he made steady progress along the somewhat-less-kept road. The fog was already rolling across the waves, obscuring his view of the harbour. He noted, disappointed, that this meant he would not be able to see the Aran Islands in the distance from Fanore.

Aislinn had been working for several hours when Liam arrived and seemed to be somewhat excited by a discovery.

"Liam! Lovely. How was work?" she called from upstairs as he walked through the front door and tossed his overcoat across a chair.

"Work was work, I'm glad it's over. You seem fairly ecstatic. What have you found?"

She poked her head out of one of the upstairs rooms and her expression confirmed his assessment.

"A link to Desmond Donnelly."

He was up the stairs in a flash.

"What? That's brilliant. In what form?"

Aislinn was sitting cross-legged on the floor, surrounded by stacks of paper and parchment. A cursory glance around the room revealed several empty boxes stacked in a corner, and Liam saw the ceiling door to the attic lying open, ladder extended to the floor. Aislinn picked up a single piece of parchment lying next to her right knee, away from the piles she had carefully created in front of her. She held the parchment out to her brother and he took it gingerly.

"It's not much, but it's all that we need to corroborate the link between Callum and Desmond."

Liam turned the paper over and found what looked like a shopping list, but he soon reasoned that it was a list of items bought for or purchased from Desmond Donnelly. The note was written in Callum's hand and the items were all of magical nature: a cauldron, various potion-making materials, butterbeer. All of the prices were in Galleons, Sickles, and Knuts, and the heading at the top of the page read: "Things I have borrowed from Desmond. Must remember to pay him back before the holidays."

He appraised his sister, now sprawled on the floor examining his reaction. "An I-owe-you list?"

She frowned and countered, "I never promised you that it was a picture of them at one of their weddings. All I said was that it was a link, and it is!"

"What if Callum knew someone else who was a wizard?"

"Someone else who was a wizard named Desmond from whom our grandfather would have been able to borrow whatever he needed?" she asked quizzically. "No offence, but the likelihood of that option seems slim. It's more likely that this is also Desmond Donnelly, our grandfather's older cousin."

"I suppose," Liam mumbled, examining the writing again. "What do you suppose he needed all of these things for?"

Aislinn shook her head. "I haven't the faintest idea. I was hoping you might be able to shed some light on that. What are those potion ingredients for?"

"Nothing that I've ever made," he admitted. "I'd have to go through the index in my spell books to see what some of these less-common ingredients go into. It seems that our grandfather must have been an experimental potions master of some sort."

"You mean he was involved in _creating_ potions?"

Liam nodded. "It's possible, and it would fit Desmond's profile as well. Devon said that Desmond disappeared after an explosion in his workshop. Perhaps he had invited Callum to move to County Clare with him to experiment in private. They would have a lot more privacy here than other places in the wizarding world. I should know."

Aislinn frowned again. "Still, it would make more sense for them to have another workshop somewhere. Why would Desmond and Callum do all of their experimenting at home, when it seems that there was so much danger inherent in their activities?"

"I don't know, maybe they did have another workshop," Liam reasoned. "Maybe that's why we're lacking so much physical evidence to expose Callum's identity as a wizard. Maybe that's where he was when he died."

"But that could be anywhere! How can we know where to look next?"

He shook his head. "I really don't know that either. We'll have to think about it and see what we can come up with, maybe meet with Devon again. Honestly, there's no rush. We have all the time in the world."

"I suppose," she conceded softly. "I had been hoping that we would make a major breakthrough today. I guess we need to find another way to get resources."

"We'll figure it out," he assured her. "How about we take a break tomorrow? I need to find some good Christmas presents for Clare, Alanna, and Silas. Do you want to go shopping with me? We can meet in Ballyvaughan after dinner."

Aislinn brightened and she nodded. "That should work for me, say seven o'clock?"

"Perfect. Let's tidy up and reorganize so that Ma and Pa don't become suspicious."

* * *

Regulus felt numb as he stood at his father's gravesite, the last remaining mourner for Orion Black. There had been no sign of Sirius or his band of friends, probably due to his not-so-friendly encounter with them at the Leaky Cauldron Monday evening. Had it really only been two days? It felt like an eternity since he had stood in the centre of the circle of Death Eaters and sentenced Richard Thomas to death. Everything had changed with the discovery of Voldemort's treachery. It was as if the revelation of how truly insensitively evil the dark wizard could be had ripped the blinders of power and opportunity from Regulus' eyes. Regulus was no longer able to think of him as _Lord_ Voldemort, much less as the _Dark Lord_. He was quite grateful that he had had zero contact with other Death Eaters since that night. Severus was generally the only person who sought him out directly, and that line of communication had been effectively broken.

Once again, Regulus was alone, both physically and mentally. The funeral had been quite small, exactly how his mother had requested. She had made no new demands on him since asking him to take over the family assets. It looked as though his family commitments, for the moment, rested in bearing the name alone.

Voldemort was another matter entirely. Regulus had spent the previous day looking over all of the information he had about this Desmond Donnelly, but he had not found any new leads. Potion-making, the Dark Arts, Slytherin House, a brief spell as an instructor, and County Clare. The Hogwarts personnel files listed his siblings and cousins and their known locations, but few were alive, and some had disappeared themselves. It was as if the entire Donnelly family had disappeared off of the magical radar. It made no sense to Regulus, and he was at a loss as to how he would find the information Voldemort craved.

It seemed as if Donnelly had been working on a specific potion that Voldemort was interested in, but he would only reveal a few of its properties to Regulus. The potion was undrinkable – it would produce liquid fire within a person that would only become worse if they tried to drink water. Donnelly had never perfected the idea, only mentioned it to a few associates. Voldemort was anxious to know if the elusive wizard scientist had succeeded. The matter seemed to be of utmost importance, yet Voldemort was regarding it with even more secrecy than usual.

Regulus felt queasy as he thought of the potion and its potential uses. Surely Voldemort was looking for a new way to torture his victims. The secrecy of the matter remained puzzling – was Voldemort using Regulus in this secret way so that he could dispatch of him easily when he was done? Every new realisation prompted further feelings of despair. He was in too deep. There was no way that he would be able to get out without a fight. But maybe, just maybe, he could find some source of help in Liam Merric. If he said nothing else, Regulus wanted to make sure that Liam at least knew that he was sorry. Severus had said that Voldemort's purpose was to test Regulus. He was relatively sure that he had passed that test, but he could not be certain. Regulus knew that he would be killed at some point if he turned on Voldemort like he was planning to do. He had no idea how he would do it, but he knew that he could not continue to help the man carry out his schemes. That part of his life had to be over.

It was time to leave his father's grave. Regulus had opted to use Muggle transportation, a plane, to get to Ireland. This was mostly because he was worried about Apparating to a place he had never been before, but it was also because he wanted to take more time to think through what he would say to Liam when he saw him. The tube ride to the Muggle airport did not take nearly as long as he thought it would. Regulus shrank his luggage to a manageable size and pocketed it so that he would not have to deal with figuring out how to give it to the airplane company. The idea of releasing his belongings to Muggles he had never met made him anxious in any case, but his bags contained evidence that could send him to Azkaban without so much as a trial. That was much worse.

He arrived safely in Dublin at half-past two and proceeded to the train station. At least trains were something he understood. The ride to Galway, the nearest city with a train station to Ballyvaughan, which seemed to be the largest town in Liam's area, would take a few hours, and he would reassess the situation once he arrived. Regulus had no way to contact Liam, nor was he exactly certain how he would manage it. All he knew was that he had to find a way.

He slid into a seat by a window and settled in for the second trip of the day. The train car was mostly empty, but there were a few individuals sitting alone and a mother with three young children. One of them, who seemed to be the youngest, was already asleep, but the other two, a girl and a boy, were bickering in hushed voices. The mother cradled the sleeping child in her arm while she tried to quiet the others. After a few minutes, they both seemed content to read, separated from one another on either side of their mum.

"Hullo, where are you going?" asked a man in a thick Irish accent.

Regulus smiled. "County Clare, Ballyvaughan."

The man nodded. He appeared to be only a few years older than Regulus. "Oh yes, beautiful place, not a good time of year to visit, though. You've missed the fall music festivals, and I daresay you'll have a hard time convincing a boatman to take you out to the Aran Islands. They've been having quite a windy and foggy spell lately."

"I'm going to visit a friend, not to enjoy the sights," Regulus explained shortly. He turned slightly toward the window as the train began to move, feigning an interest in the countryside as they left the city.

The man would not be put off. "A friend! Who are you going to see? I'm from County Clare myself."

Regulus thought for a moment. "I, er, I'm going to see Aislinn Merric."

The man shook his head. "Don't know her, but I do know of the Merrics. They have a daughter attending school here in Dublin."

"Tara?" Regulus offered, startled. He regarded the man with interest for the first time.

"The very same," he agreed. Regulus noted that he had dark brown hair, but the purest of blue eyes. He had a briefcase leaning against his feet, and he was dressed quite well.

"Where are you off to?" Regulus asked.

The man looked down and assessed himself. "I'm staying in Galway actually. I'm interviewing as a physician's assistant for a new hospital there. Tara Merric is studying to be a nurse, that's how I know her. She gave me the name of a friend. Amazing what fate will bring you, isn't it?"

"Indeed," Regulus agreed. "Pleasure to meet you, and best of luck in the job search. Say, would you have any idea how to get to Ballyvaughan from Galway, and then on to Doolin?"

"You've never been?"

"Not yet, no, and I'm surprising Aislinn. She doesn't know that I'm coming," Regulus explained. "I'd like to try to do as much as possible on my own."

"Right, naturally. There isn't a train there, both Ballyvaughan and Doolin are a bit small for a train station, but you can hire a car."

"At the train station?"

The man nodded. "Exactly. Just look to your left after you've departed and you'll see an advert for it."

"Thanks for the advice," Regulus replied sincerely.

The man smiled, nodded again, and then leaned back in his seat. Regulus saw him open his briefcase, but then turned toward the window to look at the Irish countryside. They had sped out of the city and were whizzing by green hills with small villages tucked in their folds. The knowledge that he could find his way to Doolin was somewhat comforting to Regulus, even if he was still unsure of how he would broach the subject of his arrival with Liam, let alone even begin to discuss what had gone wrong during the summer.

_It would probably be easier to bring it up with Aislinn_, he thought to himself. Unfortunately, finding Aislinn would not be as easy. Regulus knew that she worked at a grammar school, but he had never been quite clear as to where she worked. She may have moved out of Doolin, seeing as it was a small town. Did she have a job in Ballyvaughan? Regulus knew that Ballyvaughan was the closest large city to Doolin, though he had no idea of the actual distance. Would it make sense for Aislinn to work there and still be close enough to the family?

At least Aislinn would probably listen and think rationally about what Regulus would have to say. Liam, on the other hand, had every reason to be enraged and to hex Regulus to no end. What could he say? What _should_ he say?

The only answer that Regulus had when he arrived in Ballyvaughan at a quarter past seven in the evening was five words: I'm an idiot. I'm sorry.

He disembarked from his hired car, paid the driver, and found himself standing on a crowded street in the middle of Ballyvaughan. There was not much to the town, only a few shops, some more scattered restaurants, and what looked like to be miles of houses and more greenery. Regulus could smell the salty air from the nearby ocean and considered walking down that way, but decided that his hungry stomach was a much more pressing problem.

He noticed a small pub upon a quick survey of the area and figured that it was as good a place as any to eat. A small woman was hurrying toward the door to the pub as he himself walked toward it and he beat her there, smiling as he courteously held the door open for her.

The woman's eyes grew wide with shock and his jaw dropped as he examined her surprised face. It was Aislinn.

* * *

Liam finished work at a quarter-past-seven and rushed to put everything in order before hurrying out the door to meet Aislinn. He was late and he felt bad about it, though he had called her earlier to warn her of the possibility. It had sounded like she might end up being late as well, so he felt a bit better about his tardiness, but not much.

Spending an evening with Aislinn without thinking about Callum or Desmond or magic would be good for him. Liam knew that it was important to take a break. Aislinn was right; he had all the time in the world to solve the puzzle. It was not like Callum Donnelly's identity and exact familial relationship with Desmond Donnelly was of utmost importance to Liam's schedule. He could learn more about his elusive grandfather and potentially evil great-uncle later. Tonight would be all about Aislinn, and their family.

Liam approached the pub at half-past seven and sighed as he pushed the door open. There was really no way that he could have arrived sooner. He gave the pub a quick glance, looking for his sister's blonde curls, extending just past her shoulders now.

He did not expect to see her sitting at a table with another, seemingly younger, man. Who was this bloke who was holding his sister at such rapt attention? Aislinn did not even look up when Liam came through the door. She was absolutely transfixed with the man's story, leaning forward on the table and nodding along with his hand gestures. Was he a co-worker, or just some random man who thought Aislinn was beautiful?

Both curious and protective, Liam approached the table cautiously. Aislinn finally realised that her brother had arrived and squeaked a hello.

"Liam, you're here."

The man at the table started and whipped around. Liam felt like he had been hit by a stray yard off of the mainmast of one of his family's boats. Regulus Black … sneaky, conniving, _traitor_ Regulus Black was _fraternizing_ with _his sister_ in this pub. How had Black even found his way to Ballyvaughan? How had he found Aislinn? Was he planning to hold her for ransom? Had he been sent to Ireland to kill them? Surely Voldemort and his minions could not be far behind this lacklustre, immoral excuse for a friend.

Regulus, too, seemed unable to form words. He did not look good, Liam thought smugly to himself. Regulus' face was thin, as if he had not slept or eaten well in weeks. His hair was pulled smoothly back into a ponytail, like he had been at some formal occasion that morning. He did not appear to have any luggage and his wand was conspicuously missing. Had he really only been talking to Aislinn?

"Liam." Regulus uttered. "You're probably wondering why I'm sitting at this table with your sister."

Liam gaped and stuttered a reply. "Among other things, yes. That would be a question on the forefront of my mind. I'm also curious as to how you found her, how you got here, and whether or not the two of us are in mortal danger. Personally, I think Aislinn has been exposed to enough of Voldemort's murderous impulses. Wouldn't you agree?"

Regulus took a deep breath and nodded. "Wholeheartedly.

Liam raised an eyebrow. "So you're finally done languishing in deviance?"

"Something like that," Regulus replied, laughing shortly. "Though it is a bit more complicated."

"It always is, it seems, with you."

"I was just attempting to explain myself to Aislinn," Regulus continued, pushing up on the table with his hands and standing to meet Liam's eyes. "I – I don't really know what else to say except that I'm sorry and I'm an idiot."

"Er, you meant to say a murderer, right?"

"Liam!"

"Aislinn! How can you sit here talking to him casually as if nothing were wrong?" Liam hissed, stepping forward so he could keep his voice down and avoid the gaze of onlookers.

"Listening is an important skill. It might do you good to try it."

He could feel the rage building inside of him and it was all Liam could do to maintain his composure and speak rationally. _Five breaths, steady, in and out. Don't do anything you'll regret._

"If you mean any harm to my sister or my family, so help me, Regulus, …"

"I haven't any designs for harm, really," Regulus began. "I never have, I swear. I never meant harm to any of you."

Liam lost it. He swung his right fist and hit Regulus square on the jaw. Aislinn gasped and leapt up to help Regulus steady himself as he fell against the table.

"Do you want to reconsider that position, _mate?_ You're the one who willingly joined up with a lunatic. I have half a mind to turn you in to the Ministry right now. How do I know that you don't have Evil Eater friends on your tail? How do I know that there aren't men in the pub at this very moment waiting to kidnap and torture my sister?"

Regulus shook his head, massaging his jaw and sinking back into the booth again. "I deserved that, and I promise that that isn't the case at all. Please, hear me out, and be careful what you say in here! I know that I botched things up. I meddled in affairs that I shouldn't have any knowledge of and my actions led to several deaths, not even ones that you know about. All I'm asking for is that you will hear me out. You can choose to do whatever you want after that. I'll even willingly go to Az –er—prison if that's what you want to do, but I do have designs to thwart some of Voldemort's plans. At least, that's what I want to _try_ to do."

"Please sit down, _brother_, if you're done being an overprotective arse," Aislinn pleaded. "People are starting to stare. The last thing we need is trouble from the management of the pub, especially since Regulus himself is in danger."

That piqued Liam's interest. Regulus was in danger, the special servant to the _Dark Lord_? The thin man certainly did not seem like he was much of a threat. Perhaps there was more to the story than he realised.

Liam sat next to Aislinn, slipping his wand out to hold in his lap, absolutely at the ready to respond to whatever might happen during the meeting.

He nodded. "All right, Regulus. I'll listen. You have my attention."

Regulus nodded and looked down at the table, not saying anything for a long moment.

"I've been going over and over what I want to say in my head, but I still haven't a clue where to begin," he admitted. His voice was so soft and hesitant. It held none of the confidence or brash arrogance that Liam remembered from the summer.

Regulus kept his gaze on the table as he continued, almost at a whisper. "I'm only just beginning to understand everything myself. I suppose the first thing I should explain is that you were right, but so was I. I swear to you, Liam, I never meant to hurt Aislinn. I really did believe that I wasn't doing any harm when I made that map."

Liam snorted. "Bullocks."

"I've been blind, I know that, but I only just discovered it recently. Up until two days ago I sincerely believed that Voldemort did not mean real harm to anyone. You have no idea the depths of the treachery that I've been exposed to. I've been involved in giving confidential information to Voldemort from within the Ministry, I've been spying on Ministry employees, I'm directly responsible for, eh, _several_ deaths. Honestly, there are enough charges against me to send me to Azkaban for a long time.

"It was not until earlier this week that I ever saw Voldemort kill a man for no reason," Regulus admitted darkly. "That changed everything, seeing the senseless despair and emptiness. I could barely maintain consciousness long enough to get through the meeting and get myself back to the flat."

Liam was watching both Regulus and Aislinn carefully. Aislinn could not tear her eyes from Regulus' broken expression. That look did more to convince Liam that Regulus was telling the truth than any words he could possibly have said. What had this man, this eighteen-year-old traitor-spy, experienced that would result in such a lost, vacant, yet ultimately aching disposition? There was so much hurt radiating from Regulus' face, his speech, and his heart. What choice did Liam have?

Regulus continued in a softer voice. "After that, the first thing I did was to find the map and realize that we were both right. They changed what I originally wrote. It's a decent representation of my writing, but I knew that it was not my own as soon as I saw it. They fabricated evidence; the map could easily be used against me in a court of law. So, really, we were both right on that count.

"But that isn't the reason that I had to come to Ireland. I was planning to come to County Clare anyway, on Voldemort's orders."

Liam gripped his wand more tightly. "What does he want with County Clare? There's nothing here for him."

"You know that's not entirely true," Aislinn muttered, but Liam elbowed her in the ribs.

"What?"

"Ignore her," Liam insisted. "Go on."

Regulus furrowed his brow, but did not press the point. "Voldemort seems to be interested in some wizard who disappeared years ago. He was working on some experimental potion that sounds absolutely ghastly. Honestly, I'm not sure if I even want to find out what his results were. I have no idea what Voldemort wants with the information, but I'm sure that he isn't planning to use it to spawn furry white bunnies."

"What was the wizard's name?" Aislinn questioned casually.

"Donnelly."

Liam elbowed Aislinn again to keep her quiet.

Regulus looked more confused than ever. "Am I missing something here?"

"Look, mate, I can tell that you're broken up about this," Liam began. "But I still don't know how much I can trust you. Don't blame me for being careful."

"I suppose that's fair," Regulus conceded. "At the very least, it should keep my bones intact."

Liam couldn't help laughing. "Sorry about that, but, you did deserve it."

Regulus nodded. "I understand your caution. Honestly, I haven't shared everything with you either. I don't know if you'd be willing to help me find out more about this Donnelly character or if you're even interested in ever seeing me again, but whatever aid you can provide, I'd be grateful. I have a death sentence waiting for me back in London. It really will not be long before Voldemort figures out that I'm not completely loyal to him anymore, and I'm beginning to come to terms with that. The most important thing now is to try to thwart him in any way possible while still trying to appear like I'm on his side."

Liam was quiet while he considered this turn of events. Everything had changed in the past twenty minutes. Had it really only been that long? His entire world had been turned upside down once again. Did he really want to take this chance?"

"I'll make you a deal, mate," Liam offered. "Give me a day. Let me talk to my parents, and let Aislinn and I consider what you've told us, and we'll meet back here tomorrow night to discuss whether or not we can work together. I need some time to think about this. Does that seem fair to you?"

Regulus' face fell slightly, but he nodded. "I suppose so. Do you think I can find somewhere to stay in Ballyvaughan, or am I better off going back to Galway?"

Aislinn answered, "You can hire a room down the street, I'll show you were to go. Liam and I were planning on supper together and then Christmas shopping. Do you mind if I take you there now, and then we'll meet you back here tomorrow at half-past seven?"

"That sounds fair," Regulus agreed. "Thanks for considering what I've told you. I really am sorry, and I really do care about you both."

Liam could not speak. He pressed his lips together in a thin line and nodded. The shock, the hurt, and the realisation of just how much power he wielded over this broken man in that moment was catching up to him. He stepped out of the booth to give Aislinn room to exit and take Regulus to the pub and waved goodbye to them both.

Voldemort was after Desmond Donnelly. Why?

* * *

_Author's Note:_ MANY thanks to my betas: Arnel, Cygnus, and Utterly Absurd. I always look forward to and value your contributions to making my story the best that it can be. Thanks for playing in my playground with me!

I've been planning this chapter forever, and it is so good to get it out in the open! I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. This chapter is dedicated to my Teacher Family.


	15. Chapter 15

**Heart of Gold**

**Chapter 15**

**By American Wings**

* * *

Regulus held the door open for Aislinn again as they exited the pub, a mere forty-five minutes after they had entered it.

"Thanks," she muttered, looking at the ground.

"You're quite welcome," he replied, anticipating that those would be the last words they spoke until they reached the hotel.

She surprised him. "I'm sorry."

"Er, for what?" He looked over and down slightly and saw that she was still staring at the ground, hugging her body as she walked.

She shook her head. "My _idiot _younger brother! Anyone can see that you're being sincere! In truth, you look half dead. I don't know how you managed to last this long, dealing with whatever you've been dealing with."

"He had every right to do what he did," Regulus insisted, feeling his cheeks flush with embarrassment. "I've done more than enough to merit a prison sentence, and not in one of your prisons, either. Ours are a lot more … inventive in the way that they punish their prisoners."

Aislinn stopped walking abruptly and whipped to face him. "You were deceived, that much is clear. You never meant to hurt either of us, or anyone else. There has to be provision for that."

"There has to be justice, too. I have a lot that I need to atone for. Honestly, I wouldn't be angry if Liam decided not to help. He'd only be endangering himself and the rest of you if he threw in his lot with me. Even if he decides to forgive me, it would be in his best interest to stay away. That's perfectly reasonable."

"Reason hasn't got anything to do with it," Aislinn countered. "You can't go up against that _man_ alone, and Liam can't just leave you to die."

"I can only do so much," Regulus insisted. "I can come to him, I can apologise, but he has to be the one to accept that apology and move on, in the end. He's a Slytherin. It would be appropriate for him to cut me off. He's already done it once."

"He may be, but I'm not. You need help; you're only eighteen!"

Regulus laughed. "I may be eighteen, but I feel like I've experienced enough to be eighty. Look, I appreciate the offer, but there's only so much you can do. You can't use magic. I don't know how you expect to fight the Dark Lord without it. Furthermore, if Liam isn't on board with the idea, I don't think that I want you to come back with me. You'll need to stay here with your family. Coming back to London is a death sentence, and I'm really not keen on putting you in any more danger. I feel like I might get more than a left hook if that were to happen."

"There's really nothing else that I can do to help?"

"Beyond helping me find somewhere warm to sleep? Not tonight."

She seemed ready to argue again, but he kept his eyes locked on hers until she conceded and continued walking. If there was one thing he would not allow, it was putting Aislinn in any more danger. She may be twenty-five and perfectly capable of caring for herself, but bringing her back to London, regardless of Liam's decision, was very low on his list of priorities. Liam understood the implications of the decision he had to make. Aislinn did not. No matter how passionate she was about protecting her family, and his own self for some reason, Regulus could not allow her to re-enter the fray in a position that would surely lead to her own death. Voldemort was a lunatic and Regulus was becoming quite certain that the Muggle, Mudblood, and Half-Blood disappearances reported in both the Daily Prophet and the Muggle news were the result of his whims.

He shook his head clear of the dismal thoughts. Aislinn was one of his few acquaintances that could get his mind away from magic. This was a good opportunity to take advantage of that.

"How has Liam been, truthfully?" he asked tentatively.

Aislinn glanced up at him and shrugged. "It depends on the day. He's been better in the past couple of weeks, but I think that that has more to do with having a _plan._ He seemed lost after he came home from London. He really did not have much direction."

"I know what that feels like," Regulus muttered.

"I'd imagine that you do."

They were silent for a few more steps, but then Regulus inquired, "Do I really appear half dead?"

She gave him an incredulous look. "Have you _seen_ yourself lately? You look like you haven't slept well in weeks, mostly because of the smudges under your eyes. You're obviously well dressed and a little kept up today, but I feel like this might have been some special occasion."

"My father died last week. His funeral was this morning."

"Oh," Aislinn replied softly. "I'm so sorry. How is your mother?"

Regulus shrugged. "As well as can be expected, I suppose. She and my father were not close by the end of their marriage, not that they had ever been very close. Their parents arranged their marriage."

"That still happens?" Aislinn inquired.

"Among Pureblood wizarding families, certainly," Regulus affirmed. "I can guarantee you that my mother is divining some sort of list of women for me to court once I return home. She might wait a few months, but I'm sure that the subject will come up again soon."

Aislinn did not seem to have a response to this and so they continued to walk in silence. She had not said how far the walk was from the pub to the hotel, but Regulus figured that they could not have much farther to go. Ballyvaughan was not that big.

"I have a question, but you may not be willing to give me an answer," he said tentatively, glancing to his right to look at her. "When you said that Liam had been better in the past few weeks because he had a plan, what did you mean?"

She did not say anything for a few steps, nor did she look at him, but he did see her open and close her mouth a few times as if trying to decide how to respond.

"It's not that I don't trust you," Aislinn began. "I really do want to explain the situation to you, but I got the distinct impression during our prior conversation that Liam wants to keep our discoveries just between the two of us until at least tomorrow." She turned down a side street and gestured toward a small inn on the corner. Regulus grabbed her elbow to prevent her from going inside just yet.

"Can I ask what your discoveries are about? You both seemed to become more interested in my story when I mentioned Donnelly."

She blushed. "Oh, you noticed that, did you?"

"It wasn't very difficult," he admitted. "Both of you stiffened and Liam kept jabbing you in your side."

Aislinn laughed. "Yes, I suppose that wasn't much of a cover-up. I honestly can't give you any more information than we already have, but I do have faith that Liam will see reason. He just has a great deal to think through. This is the place I was talking about. Do you want me to come in with you or do you think you can handle it?"

"I can manage," Regulus replied. "Thank you for your help. I'll see you and Liam tomorrow evening."

"Of course. I'll be looking forward to it," Aislinn assured him, and then reached up to give him a hug. Startled, Regulus wrapped one arm around her tentatively and squeezed her shoulder into his side. "Sleep well and try not to worry."

"I … er, yes, thank you. The same to you," Regulus stammered. Aislinn leaned back and gave him a small wave before turning around and walking back toward the pub where her brother was waiting.

Regulus watched her go, leaning against a street lamp. He could smell a hint of salt in the breeze coming from the nearby ocean. It was an odd smell, not one that he had encountered much in his life, but it was strangely refreshing and calming. The breeze also reminded him of the cold and he decided that hiring his room and getting something warm in his stomach would probably be the best course of action.

The lobby was well lit and quaint, just large enough for the front desk, a few lamps, and two armchairs with a small table between them. A middle-aged man with reading glasses was standing behind the desk, working on a crossword puzzle from the morning paper. He looked up when a small bell rang as Regulus walked through the door, placing the glasses gingerly on the desk surface as Regulus approached.

"Good evening, how may I help you?"

"I need to hire a room, possibly just for a night but maybe longer," Regulus answered. "I apologise that I am unable to give you a more definitive timeframe."

The man folded his arms and shrugged. "Well, there is a two night minimum stay, but I might be able to waive that fee since we do have several rooms that are open. May I have your name?"

"Regulus Black."

The man raised his eyebrows. Regulus sighed and spelled out his name.

"Right, very good, Mr. Black. How would you like to pay?"

Regulus had changed some of his wizarding money for pounds before leaving London, but he had forgotten that most Muggles did not carry large amounts of money on their person. The man's eyes were wide when Regulus produced a wad of notes and some coins, several of which clattered to the floor.

"Sorry," he mumbled as he leaned over to collect the stray money pieces.

The man's entire demeanour changed. "Not a problem, certainly, not at all, Mr. Black. What kind of room did you say you were looking for?"

"Er, just a small room, nothing fancy," Regulus replied carefully. "And if you have any kind of food service, that would be lovely as well."

"Brilliant, yes, I'll fetch a menu for you to look over while your room is made ready. If you'll just have a seat, it will only take a few moments," the man assured him, gesturing toward the armchairs. Regulus nodded and took a seat, glancing briefly over the menu to see if there was anything resembling the kind of food he usually ate while at home. Nothing seemed particularly suited to his tastes, but he did not have much time to examine the menu in detail before the man returned.

"Right this way, you're in Room 15. Everything you need should be there. Haven't you any luggage?"

_It might have been good to walk in with that_, Regulus realised with trepidation. "Er, yes, I left it outside. I'll be right back." He exited the inn quickly and turned into an alley to enlarge his bags. The man appeared quite confused when Regulus returned, but did not press the issue.

"Right, do let me know if you need anything else. I'll bring up some food. Is there anyone who might be calling to inquire after you?"

"Yes, actually," Regulus affirmed. "My friend and his sister may be calling. They directed me toward your inn and I am meeting up with them tomorrow for dinner. If you could forward their messages to me, I'd be grateful."

The man nodded. "Of course, I will keep the messages here for you. It's been a pleasure, Mr. Black. I have you down for one night and just let whomever is here in the morning know your plans when they have been finalized."

Regulus thanked him and trudged up to his room. He heard a knock and found a bowl of soup and a hunk of bread outside of his door fifteen minutes later, after he had spent some time freshening up in the washroom. Aislinn was right; he looked terrible. The weight of the last day, the last week, and the last month seemed to be catching up to him as he devoured the soup.

He had resolved several things in his mind. First, that he could no longer serve Lord Voldemort, regardless of the results. His purpose in becoming a Death Eater was to attain a better position for himself and make contacts for the future. Most of his friends from school had joined and Voldemort's philosophy had seemed to be one that he could agree with. Yes, the Ministry of Magic had to be reformed, but Regulus no longer believed that Voldemort's solution was the best one. He wanted a better future, but how could a better future be built by excluding half of wizarding society?

Second, he had to fulfil his mission for Voldemort. His life was forfeit if he left and forfeit if he stayed. If he had to go down, it was better to go down doing _something_ and he could only know Voldemort's plans by feigning complete loyalty. This potion that Donnelly was working on had to be a central part of those plans and Regulus meant to do enough research to figure out why. It seemed that Liam and Aislinn knew something about Donnelly, or at least about other wizards in County Clare. He could only hope that Liam would agree to help him.

Third, no matter what happened, Regulus had to find a way to reconcile with Liam. It would not matter if he failed at his mission because the Dark Lord would find a way to kill him regardless of his performance, once he determined Regulus' true loyalties, but Liam's help could mean success, which could lead to a way to sabotage Voldemort's plans. However, the most important thing for Regulus to do now was to show Liam that he sincerely cared for him.

_Forgiveness is a funny thing_, he thought to himself. On the one hand, it seemed that Liam was aware of Regulus' remorse for his actions. On the other, that meant nothing if Liam was not willing to respond in turn. Forgiveness was something that had to be given. Regulus realised that while forgiveness was related to penitence, it was by no means dependent upon it. Liam may have forgiven him months ago without ever telling him. On the other hand, regardless of what Regulus said or did, forgiveness had to be Liam's choice. It could not be based on coercion or false concessions. Further, Liam did not have to agree to help him even if he forgave him.

There was little that he could do but hope for the best and prepare for the worst; the worst being Liam turning him over to the Ministry of Magic without giving him a chance to clear his name. The possibilities could drive him mad. Regulus decided that the best course of action was to sleep.

* * *

"You stubborn _idiot!_" Aislinn spewed as she slid back into the bench seat of the booth. "How can you treat him like that?"

"Like what?" Liam retorted. He was not in the mood for a lecture.

She narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms on the table. "With derision, scorn, and hatred! Have you learned nothing? Why did you leave London in the first place?"

"Because he sold us _both_ out to Voldemort!"

She shook her head. "That's not what I remember."

"Oh? What is it that you remember, then?"

"I remember a scared, confused, and hurt man who didn't know what to do so he ran away from it all," she began. "I remember disbelief mixed with cockiness. I remember your attempts to balance what you believed to be the truth with what Regulus was saying, and I remember your desire for answers. All you wanted was for Regulus to understand where you were coming from."

"Things change," Liam stated. "Perhaps my memory is not quite clear, but it's been four months. We have no idea what he's been doing. How do we know that he hasn't been instructed to kill us?"

"Personally, I think he would have done it already if that were the case," Aislinn pointed out.

Liam shrugged. "You're probably right. But what does Voldemort want with Desmond Donnelly? You have to admit that Regulus' object in being in County Clare is a bit off."

"That's true," she agreed. "But I still think that we should give him the benefit of the doubt. It took a lot for him to come here and admit that he was wrong."

"He can't be trusted, Linn. You have no idea what he's capable of," Liam insisted.

She shook her head. "So the best course of action is to just ignore him and let him go down alone? He might not have to die if you help him. The first thing he asked me about when we were walking to the inn was how you were doing, so he clearly cares about you."

"I owe him nothing," Liam spat, leaning back and crossing his arms.

"Really, nothing? Nothing at all?"

The questioning was making him uncomfortable. Why should he be the one to extend a hand of friendship to the man who had turned against him?

"Yes, nothing at all," he insisted.

Aislinn's voice rose an octave as she pressed, "He welcomed you at school when no one else would. He stood up for you in the face of other Slytherins and defended you to his parents. He taught you about the magical world and helped you to understand this other part of you that none of us could explain. You could no sooner cut him out of your life than you could cut me. These last few months are proof of that. You need to forgive him."

Liam could not think of a good response to that. He looked around the pub, hoping that something would come to him. Nothing came but more excuses. "Why? Even if all that is true, he turned his back on me. Why should I forgive him?"

"Because if you choose not to and you leave him to die alone, then you're no better than the Death Eaters," Aislinn replied simply.

"Regardless of what he did?"

Aislinn seemed bolstered by this small agreement on his part. "You don't even _know_ what he did, but even if you knew you'd have to take into account that he has come to you to repent. He's sorry for what he did and he wants to turn his back on it. He wants to _change_, Liam. Shouldn't you do everything in your power to help him?"

Liam shook his head. "Look, even if I choose to forgive him, and I really don't have to, it's in my best interest to keep him as far away from here as possible. The presence of a dark wizard could endanger our family more than you can possibly imagine."

"Everyone dies. It's morbid, but it's true. Isn't it better to live a life of compassion, regardless of the consequences? Regulus knows nothing about true friendship or true family. The only real friendship he has ever had has been with you. Do you really want to leave him for dead knowing that he's never experienced what real living is like? We've been blessed beyond measure with friends and family who love us and care for us. It only makes sense to extend that love to others."

Liam was silent for a long moment, playing with his empty mug and avoiding his sister's eyes. Welcoming Regulus back into his life was the last thing that he wanted to do because it would shatter the haven that he had created for himself in County Clare. The haven was not perfect, but it was safe. He had all of the things that Aislinn had just described and more: friends, family, income, recreation, excitement, and rest. They were close to discovering something about their elusive grandfather and his family history. Who was Regulus to destroy that life?

Yet the price of the haven was to ignore an entire part of his being. His family had warned him all along that he could not pretend that the last seven years had never happened. Aislinn was right that he could not cut Regulus out of his life. That friendship was too much a part of who he had become and that was why the betrayal had hurt so much, and still did. Regulus had been his anchor in the wizarding world. It meant a lot to have someone to call a true friend in a house that prided itself in individual success and cunning behaviour.

Liam closed his eyes and rested his head in his hands. His throat constricted and burned as he finally embraced the grief from which he had been running. He felt his body begin to shake and tried his best to calm himself down so that no one would notice. He felt a hand gently break his hold on his forehead and lifted his head slightly to see Aislinn reaching across the table. He intertwined his fingers with hers and wiped away a few salty tears that were seeping from his now-open eyes.

"It hurts so much."

"I know, but that's how you know you're alive," she replied softly.

He whispered back, "I don't know if I can do it. I don't know if I can forgive him completely and allow him back into my life. What if I really am no better than the Death Eaters? So many of them were my classmates. Even though we weren't friends, we lived together. We ate together. I was chosen as a member of their house. There is something in me that is just like them.

"What if I try and fail? How will I live with myself if I can't manage to trust him ever again? Won't I just be betraying him in return?"

Aislinn squeezed his hand. "It has to be a choice that you make. You can forgive him but still choose to keep him at a distance until you're ready. It sounds to me like you're already starting to do that."

"I … I suppose that I am," he admitted, surprised by the realisation that he still cared for Regulus. "I'm worried, though. What if I begin to forgive him now but then realise that he's done something beyond awful. He said that he was responsible for deaths. What if he killed someone?"

"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it," she reassured him. "For now, it's enough that you begin to understand and accept Regulus as a friend again; and, you don't have to do this alone. I'll be here the whole way."

Liam withdrew his hand and crossed his arms. "How are you able to do this? You're the one who was hurt physically by his lack of foresight and absurd behaviour. When did you forgive him?"

"I guess I never really blamed him for what happened," Aislinn suggested. "I've always tried to think the best of Regulus, even after you told me that he was a Death Eater. I always believed that there was something more to the situation and I still believe that. Furthermore, he's full of remorse. I don't believe that he ever really understood what he was doing. Yes, there has to be justice, but there also has to be some provision for his reformed state of mind. It sounds like Regulus is willing to face the consequences for his actions and he believes that he'll die no matter what."

"He actually has some idea of the full extent of Voldemort's power," Liam noted. "His assessment of what will happen to him is probably not far off."

"No, probably not."

They were silent again, both staring at a candle in the centre of the table. The hurt had not gone away; indeed, it had only increased, but Liam felt that he might be able to face it now. There were so many questions that had to be answered. If he chose to ignore Regulus, he would probably regret it for the rest of his life.

There was only one decision to make.

"Well, I suppose that if we're going to welcome Regulus back into our lives, then we should probably talk to our parents about it," Liam suggested.

"I think that would be wise," Aislinn agreed. "Are you hungry? We never ordered any food."

He shook his head. "Not really. Ma will have something at home if we're hungry later. Should we go over there now?"

Aislinn nodded and they rose, leaving some money on the table to cover their drinks. They had driven separately, having expected to go home to separate houses after they had finished their holiday shopping. Liam walked Aislinn to her car and then walked down the dark streets toward the harbour where he had left his own. He knew that he had many decisions to make and he still felt unsure of himself, but he realised that several things were certain as he drove the familiar route home.

First, regardless of what he had done, Regulus seemed genuine in his plea for forgiveness. He was acknowledging that he had done something wrong and that was a major change from the summer. The details of their final argument had grown fuzzy in Liam's mind, but he did remember that Regulus had been stubborn, resolute, and unwilling to listen, let alone admit that there was any possibility that he might be wrong. This was no longer the case, unless Regulus had somehow become the world's best actor in the past four months. Unlikely.

Second, Regulus had knowledge about Desmond Donnelly that could fill in the missing gaps in their own research. Regulus' knowledge did not include anything about Donnelly's family. He only knew something about the dark wizard's work before arriving in County Clare. It seemed that neither of them could figure out the answers to their quests alone, but they might be able to solve all of the mysteries by combining what they already knew.

Third, Liam and his family were in danger no matter what he decided because of Voldemort's interest in Donnelly. Regulus' recent experience with Voldemort had solidified Liam's presumptions in his mind. The dark wizard was dangerous and he was apparently becoming more open about his sentiments. Those sentiments combined with his interest almost definitely meant danger to anyone in Clare acquainted with magic.

The question, then, was whether or not it was better to be with Regulus or to go it alone. If Aislinn was right and Regulus was sincere, they would both win. If Regulus had actually turned and become more aligned with Voldemort's objectives then there was nothing Liam could do at this point. They would both lose. It seemed that the best policy was to take things a single step at a time and trust Regulus with a little more information until he proved himself untrustworthy. He would have to evaluate the situation at every moment, but keeping Regulus close to him meant that Liam would be able to calculate what Regulus was thinking.

* * *

Aislinn had beat him home and Liam walked into the kitchen to find his parents and sister sipping coffee at the kitchen table.

"Liam, what exactly is going on?" Michael questioned as Liam hung his overcoat on a hook near the door.

Liam looked at Aislinn and she explained, "I've told them that we have something we need to ask. They were a little curious as to why I'm here so late."

"Ah, right, well it's quite simple, really," he said. "A mate of mine needs a place to stay for a while."

"Well, that shouldn't be a problem. Any mate of yours is welcome to stay here," Kate replied.

"It's … well, Ma, you may not be so quick to offer if you knew his identity …"

"It's Regulus Black," said Aislinn. "He's here, in County Clare."

"I thought that he had joined a club led by some lunatic who wants to eradicate anyone who can't do magic. Why in the world would he come here?" questioned Michael.

Liam placed his hands on an empty chair. "Well, we're not completely sure, and I only suspected Voldemort's goals and motives before. I didn't have any proof. It sounds like Regulus may be able to offer that to me. It also sounds like Regulus was confused about the whole situation. He thought he was signing up for one thing and got something totally different."

"He really isn't a terrible person," Aislinn insisted. "He's just in over his head. He told Liam that he wanted to apologise and hoped that they could reconcile their differences."

"And you think that he's telling the truth?"

Liam shrugged. "He's never been a solid liar. Granted, he did a relatively good job of hiding his allegiance over the summer and, obviously, he's not been found out by the Ministry of Magic since, but there is certainly a possibility that the entire thing is an act."

Aislinn folded her arms. "I disagree, I think …"

"I know what you think, and I understand why, but you have a tendency to overlook negative things and sometimes that puts a damper on your analysis," explained Liam carefully.

Her face flushed. "I do _not_ let my analysis become clouded by my feelings, I …"

Kate, whose eyes had been flitting from Liam, to Aislinn, to Michael as they each weighed in on the conversation, interrupted.

"Let's not accuse one another, that's not what we're trying to decide. What we need to figure out is whether we want to take the risk of inviting someone into our house who might want to hurt our family."

Liam nodded, and Kate continued, her eyes never leaving his. "Is it likely that this Voldemort would send someone to find out where Regulus is? Do you think that Voldemort asked him to come here for any particular reason?"

"Why in the world would Voldemort send someone here?" Michael questioned, voice level indicating that he was becoming frustrated with the conversation. "There is no conceivable reason that he would be interested in County Clare, or in our family. We have nothing to do with his world."

Liam took a breath and glanced at Aislinn quickly, willing her to be silent. This was the part that he knew would be most difficult. Liam suspected that Kate had kept Callum's magic a secret from everyone. She had not even told Liam, the one person who would benefit from it the most, until it seemed absolutely relevant. He could not say for sure whether Michael knew this crucial piece of information. Liam knew that his parents shared everything. They did not keep secrets from one another, but no one is perfect. There could have been a thousand reasons why Kate would have felt compelled to keep Callum's past a secret from her husband, not the least of which being that Callum had kept it a secret from his family as well and may have asked Kate to keep it quiet.

The worst thing that Liam could do was to come between his parents with that information. He looked at his mother and waited, hoping that she would know what to do.

Kate bit her lip. "Michael, I'm not sure if this is entirely relevant, but your last statement isn't completely true."

His focus shifted and Liam saw his muscles tense. "What do you mean?"

"Well, obviously, we are intricately connected with Voldemort's world because of Liam, but there's actually more to this than I've ever told you," she began, taking his hand. Michael leaned closer to her as she continued. "Do you remember when Liam fell, the first time he used magic?"

Michael shook his head. "Yes, I remember, but I can't see how that's relevant."

"He was there. He brought the boys back and explained to me what had happened," she continued. "He told me that he was a wizard."

Michael hissed, "Kate! I thought we agreed we weren't going to talk about this in front of … I mean, they really don't need to know, and I don't need to know more than you've already said, and …"

"Oh, we already know," offered Liam. "Well, Ma told me at least, and I told Aislinn."

Michael let go of Kate's hand and started pacing around the kitchen. "For heaven's sake, why am I the last person to learn about all of this!"

"Well, perhaps if you'd be willing to process more than just the basic level of information, you'd feel more comfortable!" retorted Kate.

"Right, er, Ma? I'm really quite confused," admitted Aislinn. "Liam indicated that there wasn't much else to know other than that our grandfather was a wizard, too, and come to think of it he never even mentioned Pa in the equation."

"That makes two of us," added Liam, avoiding Aislinn's last comment. He was not sure what to think. Apparently his father _did_ know about Callum, so he had not exposed some looming secret, but Michael and Kate were not of like mind concerning what their children knew. There _had_ to be more to the situation than Kate had let on.

"You weren't supposed to find out like this," said Kate.

"You weren't supposed to find out at all," muttered Michael. Kate glared at him. "They weren't! We agreed that we weren't going to tell them!"

Kate shook her head. "No, we agreed that we weren't going to tell them _until they were ready_. You knew that this was coming, you just didn't want it to happen."

Michael grunted and shoved his hands in his trouser pockets, leaning against the wall.

"Honestly, you need to give us a bit more to go on," pleaded Aislinn. "We might be able to help you if you would just explain what you're talking about."

Liam nodded in what he hoped was a helpful manner.

Kate cleared her throat and leaned forward onto folded arms. "What I told you was true, Liam. My Dad never did tell me any more than was necessary to explain what you had done and what would happen in the future. I can only surmise that he did, in fact, go to Hogwarts because he was the one who told me all about it in advance. Everything he said was absolutely accurate. What we never told you was the circumstances of his death."

"Not because we wanted to keep you in the dark," Michael clarified. "We didn't want you to get hurt and we wanted to separate ourselves from whatever happened as much as possible."

Liam relaxed: these were the parents he knew. They were corroborating one another's story and they had been honest with one another. Kate may have betrayed Michael's confidence in telling her son some of the information that they had wanted to keep secret, but she had not kept him completely in the dark.

"So what really happened?" asked Aislinn. "I was fifteen when he died. It's not like I was a child. I can understand you not wanting scare Liam, especially since you knew he'd be going to Hogwarts soon enough, but I don't understand why you never mentioned this to Silas or myself."

Michael walked back to the table and sat down again, leaning toward his daughter. "We didn't know much about magic yet. At that point in time we had had two encounters with it: Liam saving himself from falling off of the cliff and your grandpa's death. What would you have done?"

Aislinn furrowed her brow and admitted, "I guess I wouldn't have told us either."

Liam broke in. "I'm still missing the part where you tell us how he died."

"He had an accident of some sort," explained Kate. "He was some sort of scientist with magic; it didn't earn him many friends, apparently. He didn't do any of his experiments in his house in Fanore. He went somewhere else, but we never knew where it was. A wizard from your Ministry of Magic came to visit us after the accident happened. He explained to us that your grandfather had been badly hurt by something he did and he tried to get help from some wizards in County Clare, but it was too late. He needed help that he could have only received in London and he couldn't get back there in time."

"Callum never told anyone where this other place was," added Michael. "They tried to find it but didn't have any luck."

"How is that possible?" wondered Aislinn.

"There are a lot of possibilities," offered Liam, trying to keep pace with his racing mind. "It could have been destroyed in the accident, or he could have erected so many magical barriers and charms to render it absolutely unable to be found. Think about it. Almost everything in the wizarding world is based around keeping our existence hidden from Muggles. Hiding one building would be almost too simple for a wizard who was determined not to be found."

Michael nodded. "That's exactly what this wizard told us. Think about our position. Our only encounters with magic at that point had almost resulted in the death of our boy, and had certainly resulted in the death of your Ma's father. What would you have had us do? We were absolutely terrified."

"And we always meant to tell you, we just hadn't gotten around to it yet," said Kate. "I know it's a poor excuse and that you could've done with knowing sooner, but I hope that you'll see why we made that decision."

She turned to her husband. "And I hope that you understand why I told Liam about Dad. I wanted to encourage him to really think about why he had come home. I don't want Liam to become a recluse wizard performing experiments with who-knows-what who gets himself blown up for no reason."

Michael nodded and smiled at her. "Yes, I understand. I wish that we could have done it together, but I _do_ understand. This is a lot to process, and you're right that we should have told them sooner, but I just don't know if it would be wise to bring someone into our lives who is directly involved with dark magic."

Liam decided to take the lead again. "I think that you might benefit from interacting with Regulus, someone who has been around magic all of his life. It's second nature to him. Granted, it was probably second nature to Grandfather Callum, too, but he didn't choose to use it. Regulus does. He's obviously made some poor life choices, but it looks like he's trying to reform himself."

"You think that he's honestly telling the truth, then?" asked Kate.

"I suspect so," affirmed Liam. "But I really just want to keep him close. I think he might be dancing on the fence and it would be better to help him navigate that decision than to leave him to go it alone."

"You know what I think, but there's something else you should know about all of this," added Aislinn. "Liam and I haven't been fully honest with you either."

Liam flushed and looked down at his hands. "Er, yeah, we've been trying to find out about Grandfather Callum in secret."

Michael paled. "In what way, exactly?"

"Well, a couple months ago I ran into this man in the dead of night while I was using my wand as a light source. It was foggy. To my surprise, the man knew what it was. I was scared and so I erased his memories, but later I regretted it. This was around the same time that Ma told me about Grandfather Callum being a wizard," explained Liam. "I couldn't get the mysterious man out of my mind. I figured that if anyone could tell me about magic in County Clare, he could. The problem was that I had erased his memories and I had no idea who he was."

Aislinn broke in, "At the same time, I had seen some strange things at the school. It seemed like some of my children might be from magical parents. I brought the theory up with Liam and he told me what had happened. We reasoned that it would be beneficial to at least try to resolve the mystery."

"Did you ever find the man?" asked Kate.

Liam nodded. "We did, actually, you both know him. It's Christopher Devon."

Michael squinted. "The man we go to for ship repairs?"

"The very same," affirmed Liam. "Aislinn and I cornered him into telling us what he knew about magic and the results were surprising. Apparently his wife is the daughter of a Desmond Donnelly, a wizard who was involved in dark magic and disappeared because of it. Donnelly had a young relative who was working on experiments with him until he became disillusioned and gave up on magic altogether. We reasoned that the young relative might have been Callum, so, we did some digging around at his house and Aislinn managed to find a scrap of paper linking the two men.

"And then we found out that Regulus is on a mission from Voldemort to find out about Desmond Donnelly. That's why he got sent to County Clare. He was planning on coming here anyway before his eyes were opened to the horrors of Voldemort's plan just recently. We haven't told him yet that we've been researching the same thing, but I plan to tell him within the next week or so."

The family sat in silence for several minutes until Kate said, "Essentially, if we invite Regulus into our home, then we invite this mystery as well."

"Right, and all of the consequences it would bring," replied Liam. "I'll understand if you don't want to take the risk, and Regulus will, too. However, I think that it would be worthwhile. We're doing more than just helping Regulus order his life; we're finding out about our own past. Isn't that just the slightest bit appealing to you?"

Kate nodded. "I would love to learn more about my Dad before he was married to my Mum."

"Pa?"

Michael still appeared conflicted. Liam knew that it would be easy to convince Kate to help Regulus, but he had not anticipated feeling so nervous about his father's reaction. Michael really had little reference point for measuring the effects and abilities of magic, and he had just revealed that his earliest experiences with magic had not exactly been pleasant. Michael's decision on the matter would determine the extent to which he could interact with and help Regulus. He could only hope that Michael would choose to put aside his fears and embrace the opportunity in front of him.

Michael cleared his throat. "As much as I'd rather just stay safe and say no, I think that in this case we may be in more danger if we just ignore it. The best decision is to learn more about this, whatever this is. We can't fight something if we know nothing about it."

"So you'll give your consent to inviting Regulus to stay?"

"Yes, but I want to know what you lot are planning on doing before you put yourselves in any more danger. Is that clear?"

Liam agreed, "Naturally. I apologise for keeping you in the dark, but we honestly thought that it was the best thing to do until we verified our facts."

"Well, at least we all care about one another," offered Aislinn. "Even if we sometimes interpret 'caring' as concealing information."

Everyone laughed shortly at her glib remark. Liam felt a pang of pity as he realised that Regulus had probably never experienced a family discussion such as this. His parents concealed much from their children, but not out of love. The Black family concealed information out of self-interest and spite. Perhaps the best by-product of Regulus' visit would be his interaction with the entire Merric family. It would certainly be an experience.

"When should we tell Silas and Alana?" asked Aislinn.

"I'll talk to them about it tomorrow," said Michael. "I have a feeling that Silas will want to keep Clare away from the house until we prove Regulus absolutely trustworthy."

"Despite my hopes to the contrary, I think that that is probably a good idea," agreed Liam. "Aislinn and I are meeting him for dinner in Ballyvaughan tomorrow night so we'll bring him home after that."

There was not much to say after their conversation, and Liam did not fancy more deep conversation or new revelations. He had too much information to process in his mind. He was glad that all the pieces fit together and this new information about Callum seemed to corroborate what he had known before. But where was this secret laboratory of sorts? How had Callum hidden it and would they even be able to find it if a Ministry employee had been unable to complete the task? Perhaps Regulus' knowledge would fill in the gaps, but he would have to wait to find out.

* * *

Regulus spent the next day wandering around the small town of Ballyvaughan, certain that he could draw a map of its boundaries and environs by the time he was to meet Aislinn and Liam at the pub. He had checked out of the inn in the morning, hoping that Liam had decided that he could be trusted. If not, there was no point in him staying in Ballyvaughan anyway. He could just as easily launch his investigation from the larger city of Galway. It was not as though he had any specific geographic leads anyway, other than the general area. It could potentially take a few weeks to learn anything definitive about Donnelly. This did not matter. Regulus was not in much of a hurry to return to London.

He approached the pub at half-past seven exactly and found Liam and Aislinn inside, laughing over a private joke. He walked up to their table and smiled nervously.

"Hi there."

"Regulus, do sit down," said Liam, pulling out a chair next to him. Regulus sat.

Liam continued, "We did a lot of thinking, Aislinn and me, and we talked to our parents. You should know that this offer is conditional. We're still not fully sure that we can trust you, but we want to. We want to believe that you're going to do the right thing and we want to give you another chance."

For the first time in months, Regulus truly felt that the weight on his shoulders was lighter.

"You mean, you'll give me somewhere to stay? You'll help me figure out what I need to know?"

"Yes, and yes," affirmed Liam. "For as long as you need it. As it turns out, we may be able to help you, too. Do keep in mind that this is a conditional agreement, however."

"I've noted it," Regulus replied.

"Try not to botch it up."

Regulus laughed. "I'll do my best."

"Now that that is settled, we're just curious about one thing," said Aislinn. "Tell us more about Desmond Donnelly."

* * *

Thanks so much to all of my faithful readers. These chapters take quite a long time to write, but they're worth every minute. I'm glad that you enjoy reading them as much as I enjoy writing them, and I'd love to hear more about what you think. What are your theories? Let me know!

No chapter could be complete without input from my betas: Arnel, Cygnus, and Utterly Absurd. You are fantastic and I cannot ever thank you enough.

Finally, thanks to my family for being a wonderful model of forgiveness, redemption, and support, the essentials of life.


	16. Chapter 16

**Heart of Gold**

**Chapter 16**

**By American Wings**

* * *

_Pre-Note: Thank you to all of my readers who have been leaving reviews_ and marking this story as a favorite or for an alert. I really appreciate your responses! I've been writing this story for the past 6 years and had archived it elsewhere, but decided to upload the chapters here also, however, I only have one more chapter to post at this point after Chapter 16. There will be 19 chapters, plus an epilogue, in total, so I wanted to warn you that it might be a while before the next few chapters, since I haven't written 18 or 19 yet. I DO have a plan and an outline for them, it's just a matter of having the time to write. I'm hoping to get the whole thing done this summer, before the school year starts (I'm a teacher).**  
**

And now for a few personal notes ...

1. Nightkill - I'm SO glad you enjoy the story, and that you took the time to leave a review! I write for myself, not for getting as many reviews as possible, but I get really excited when someone does leave one and I really appreciated yours. Please do read the rest of my work as well!

2. MissSadieKane - Thanks for your thoughts on Regulus' musings! Before Kreacher's Tale was revealed in Deathly Hallows, I figured Regulus needed a reason to switch away from Pureblood sympathies, and thus Liam was born. I hope you'll give me more of your thoughts!

3. ben127127 - Here you go! I'm glad you're hooked. :)

4. Nikita - Thanks for your thoughts so far, I'm glad you love the story. I'm looking forward to what you think as it comes to a conclusion!

5. jenblack99 - Thanks for your encouragement! I'm looking forward to your long review. I'll read some of your Regulus stories after I've finished this one; don't want your ideas to color mine. :) Yours look really interesting, though!

Okay, back to the story...

* * *

Regulus was not sure which was worse – hiding out in Liam's room to avoid being monitored by the rest of the family or pushing himself to make small talk about nothing in the evening after Liam arrived home. The former he understood as a precautionary measure; the Merrics knew that he was a Death Eater, though they did not know the incriminating details. He was not the type of person to reach out to near-strangers anyway, but the distance was still a constant reminder of his choices. His interactions with Liam only made this more painful and he wished that he could find a way to break through their conversational wall. Not only did Liam have information about Donnelly, but Regulus was also slowly losing hope of restoring their relationship.

Aislinn, to her credit, was doing the best she could to break the tension. It was refreshing to be around someone who treated him like a human being. Aislinn came to the house nightly for dinner, always bringing stories about the children she taught at school. Her presence broke the monotony of his day and allowed him to relax, even in the presence of more wary family members.

He chose to keep to the house for several reasons. Primarily, he was unfamiliar with the area and did not want to chance getting lost or running into the wrong person. Aislinn and Liam had told him enough about the undercurrents of magic in County Clare for him to realize that it might be a good idea to lay low. It was also entirely possible that Voldemort had dispatched other Death Eaters to keep an eye on him. The more Regulus connected the dots in his mind, the more he realized just how dangerous a force the Dark Lord was.

Christmas was drawing closer and he had spent the afternoon writing a letter to his mother, explaining that he would spend the holidays with Liam's family. She would be angry, but she would live. He already had his inheritance so she did not have much recourse; he could make his own decisions with the family fortune, and she could not make him come home.

His stretched as he checked the time: two o'clock. Today was Aislinn's last day of school before the holiday and she had agreed to take him shopping so that he could pick up suitable gifts for her parents, but was not due to the house until three.

_I can't hide out up here forever_, he thought to himself. It was time to venture out of his self-imposed cloister.

The kitchen had become a vault of treats over the past four days. Regulus swiped a chocolate biscuit and sat at the table to watch the steady stream of snowfall in the backyard.

"I saw that," Kate called from the hallway.

Regulus dropped the biscuit. "I'm sorry, I thought they were free for the taking."

She laughed. "Well, they're best when they're hot, and you're the only one who'll get to enjoy them that way, so eat up. I was wondering if you'd venture downstairs when I took them out."

"Thanks." He took another bite.

Kate sat down at the table. "I'll be frank with you. Liam and Aislinn have told us a great deal about their past with you. We want to try to help, but we want to make sure that it isn't going to cost us either."

He started pulverizing what was left of the biscuit. "I would never, I mean, I promise, I'm not planning to do anything that would hurt any of you, I'm just trying to be honest …"

"I understand, I think," Kate replied. "Really, it will just take time. What are you working on upstairs anyway?"

"So far, just taking care of business back home and making sure no one misses me," he explained. "I have to give myself sufficient time to process what I want to do, now that I've realized how deep I'm in, and I've got to come back with _something_ to give You-Know-Who, er, at least, I _think_ you know, the evil wizard who is behind everything. He's already so cunning that I need to be careful that what I give him won't make him more powerful than he already is."

Kate took a deep breath and seemed to be examining him carefully before she continued.

"I'm going to ask you the same question I asked Liam a few months back," she began. "Are you here because it is going to help or are you here because you are running away?"

He narrowed his eyebrows and sat up a little straighter before he answered, "Er, I haven't really thought about it that way. I mean, I'm here because _he _sent me here, but that has turned into something different since I don't really want to serve him anymore. I can't fulfil my original mission, but I can't come back empty-handed either. It doesn't do anyone any good if I just out myself to him. I figure, I might as well try to make a difference and then get killed rather than just get killed."

"Is there an option where you _don't _get killed?"

He shook his head. "Not that I can figure. But, I have to do _something_. I don't think I'm running anymore."

"So you're here because you want to fight."

He nodded. "Yeah, I suppose I am."

"Why don't you, then?" Kate pressed.

"I don't even know where to start, it's so big." He folded his arms and leaned toward her against the table. "There's so much I need to know, so much I need to do, so much I wish I could do that I can't. If I only have so much time left, I need to figure out the best way to spend it."

"I'm going to give you a suggestion, and you may not like it, but instead of hiding out in the house, I'd say to start with Liam," offered Kate. "I think that if you reconcile with him first, the rest will fall into place."

Regulus did not respond right away. Of course, he had considered this, but had initially decided that spending time apart might help Liam process everything more effectively. Liam's knowledge was the key to the entire operation, and they needed to be on good terms before Liam would willingly confide in him again. Showing up at the shipyard seemed like an awful intrusion into Liam's privacy; still, perhaps some time working physically together would do them some good.

He replied hesitantly, "I'm supposed to go shopping with Aislinn …"

Kate countered. "Aislinn can wait. There's an old car in the garage that you can take. Do you know how to get to Ballyvaughan?"

Regulus shook his head. "No, but, I think I'd have more luck figuring out how to get there than driving your car. I don't know how to drive. I can just Apparate, if you can tell me how to get to where Liam is from the pub near the harbour."

* * *

Kate's directions were good and Regulus arrived at the docks to see Liam and Michael hauling equipment from one of the ships. He stared at the vessel; he had never been on a ship before. The masts were devoid of sails, but it still looked menacing, dripping from the snow shower. He wasn't sure if he could manage to stand upright on it if he tried.

Liam looked at him suddenly and Regulus waved.

"Ahoy there, you look like you're earning your keep," Regulus called.

"Hi, I thought you were supposed to be shopping with Aislinn," Liam called back. He set his load down and trotted down the ramp to the dock.

"Change of plans, your mother is quite convincing," replied Regulus. "Do you lot need any help?"

"Seriously?"

"I'm not much good sitting up in your room, am I? I have two hands, two legs, and a somewhat strong back."

Liam shrugged. "I mean, if that's what you want to do, I'm sure we can find you something. You can start by helping us with the equipment. We're getting this ship ready for dry dock, a last minute addition for the winter. Hey Pa!"

Michael called back, "What?"

"What should I get Regulus doing?"

Michael squinted at them and shrugged. "Er, whatever you're working on, I guess."

"Helpful," Liam muttered. "All right, just follow my lead."

It was a lot of hauling and a lot of walking. Regulus grew tired quickly, not having done real physical activity for months, but found that working with his hands was somewhat satisfying. He lifted, hauled, and placed … lifted, hauled, and placed … every once in a while taking an extra step to keep balance. Liam moved on the ship as a natural. Regulus stumbled forward and backward every time it moved.

"You have to move with the waves," offered Liam.

"What?"

Liam put his load down and pointed outward. "The ship is going to move every time the waves move. Just feel the natural rhythm and match it."

"I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about."

Liam shook his head. "Put the load down, just stand and _feel_ it."

Regulus did so, and tried to stand without grabbing something. The ship did go up and down, but he started to feel somewhat of a pattern. It still bothered his stomach, but he felt like he might be able to walk.

"That's it, see? Now you can anticipate what it's going to do. It'll make walking a lot easier," Liam explained, shouldering his load again.

"Right," Regulus replied. He had hoped that doing some work together might liven things up a bit. They were wasting time; he wanted to start _going_ somewhere. How long would it take?

"Oh, I left a bucket on the ramp, can you grab it for me?" called Liam from across the deck.

"Yeah, no problem," Regulus agreed. He whipped around faster than he anticipated, lost his footing, and stumbled toward the ramp, praying he would catch himself on the side of the boat, but losing his positioning entirely. He plunged a few feet into the water.

_Cold!_ That was all his mind could process. _Knives! Little knives pricking all over!_

He treaded up to the surface of the water and fumbled about for something to grasp, finally grabbing hold of a thick line coming out the side of the ship.

"Regulus!" Liam had hurried to the side of the ship. "Dear heaven, are you all right?"

Regulus kicked and hung on until his knuckles were white and he could feel his muscles cramping. "I think so, I'm _so cold!_"

"Yes, that water is about ten degrees. Can you swim? If you can get down the ship toward the shore, I can probably pull you out, but I don't want to try anything else since we're in public."

Regulus did not want to swim, but he did want to get out. He could feel his extremities going numb and knew that he would not be able to make it to shore if he did not start moving.

"Ye – ah I, th-think I c-c-can do that," he chattered. He moved himself along the boat slowly, trying not to think about what might be swimming beneath his feet. Liam walked down the ramp along with him, encouraging him along the way until at last he let go of the side, swam the distance to the ramp, and was hauled out of the water by Liam and Michael. They helped him indoors where he changed into one of their company uniforms and sat wrapped in blankets, drinking tea until he was warm.

"Whoops," he offered, smiling slowly.

Liam chuckled. "Whoops is right. Isn't this more fun than shopping with my sister?"

"Questionable. If I get hypothermia, I'm blaming you."

"That's fair," Liam agreed. "Though I did give you some coaching in how to walk on the ship. I never once said to stumble across the deck like a madman. _And_ you volunteered."

"Eh, I'd still say it's valid."

Liam stretched out on a nearby sofa. "So, I'm guessing you probably don't want to come back and do this again tomorrow?"

Regulus laughed. "Er, yeah, that would be a no, but I will if you need the help."

"Nah, I was thinking of something more interesting," Liam explained. "I think it's time that we started comparing notes. What do you say?"

"Well, I have nothing better to do. Works for me."

* * *

Kate knew her son, and the suggestion for Regulus to help out at the docks had been a good one. Liam mused about potential plotting between his sister and mother, but then resolved that they might have acted separately. Still, he felt that kinship had returned between Regulus and himself, and he wanted to capitalize on it.

Regulus had told them about his mission to find out more about Desmond Donnelly, but he appeared to have no idea that Desmond was linked to the Merric family. Liam decided that taking him to his grandfather's house was probably the best way to explain the link.

The car sputtered as they went on to Fanore, the sound increasing somewhat every time they inched up a hill. Liam looked forward to Apparating the next time, once Regulus knew where he was going.

"Just a few more hills here. Feeling sick at all?" asked Liam.

Regulus shook his head. "I'm happy to be on land, not feeling the least bit sick."

"Excellent. There's the house."

They pulled up in front of what was better described as a cottage. His mother and father had kept it in good shape, but had always been averse to living there. Liam now understood why, but still wondered why they had kept it that way for so long. He showed Regulus through the tiny dwelling, from the kitchen and living room area on the main floor to the three bedrooms upstairs, all of which were currently serving as storage space. Regulus paid mild attention, but Liam knew that he had to be confused as to why they were there. They ended the tour at the kitchen table, upon which sat the papers Aislinn had been sorting through when they discovered the link from Callum to Desmond.

"I'm sure you're wondering why I'm showing you all of this," Liam stated.

"I'd be lying if I said that I wasn't," admitted Regulus.

Liam leaned against the table. "Remember how we always used to ponder about how I ended up in Slytherin?"

Regulus nodded.

"Well, I have an answer. My grandfather, the man who built this house, he was a wizard. His name was Callum Donnelly."

Regulus' eyes grew wide. "Donnelly? _Donnelly._ You mean to say that Voldemort is looking for … well, not your grandfather, you just said his name was Callum."

Liam nodded. "That's right. You're looking for his older cousin, Desmond; the reason my grandfather turned his back on the Wizarding world. Funny how things work out, isn't it?"

Regulus had sunk down into one of the kitchen chairs and started examining the papers on the table, quickly finding the one that linked the two deceased men.

"Is this your only evidence?" he inquired, holding up the paper. "I mean it's not much."

"But it _is_ clear," Liam said. "We think that Callum came to live here because of Desmond and that they were working on some sort of Dark Arts project when Desmond disappeared, or died, or whatever. It seems to have scared Callum away from being a wizard, at least for a period of time. He died as well, or at least disappeared, doing another magical experiment of some sort."

Regulus leaned forward. "Do you know what they were working on? That's probably what Voldemort is looking for. What could they have been doing that was worth dying for, even when Callum knew that his cousin had been killed?"

Liam shook his head. "That's the thing, there's almost nothing in this house, other than that piece of paper, that links to any sort of magic. It's like Callum had some sort of secret laboratory where he did all this work. He had this double life, and that's what killed him in the end."

Regulus bit his lip and looked away.

"That's what I've been trying to work out for the past few months," Liam explained. "I don't want to be like him. I want to understand the gift I have and use it to keep my family safe. I don't want to be stuck in the shadows for the rest of my life. There's too much I have to live for."

"I don't know how much help I'll be in trying to find this place, mate," Regulus admitted. "I mean, I've never met the man, but what I need to find will be there. Did he have any place, other than here, where he spent a lot of time?"

Liam shrugged. "Not that I know of. I mean, not that I can remember him taking me to. I'm happy to show you around here, though. What do you think he was working on?"

Regulus hesitated. "I don't want to tarnish your view of your grandfather. I mean, I'm sure you really loved him and that he was a good man, but Voldemort seems to be interested in some dark things. He said that what he's looking for is of personal interest, not related to other things the Death Eaters are doing, and it was conducted by a group of wizards in County Clare about a century ago. He said his lead was a man named Donnelly who moved to Clare eighty years ago. That doesn't seem to fit our time table."

"Maybe, maybe not," mused Liam. "Wizards live longer than other people. The man I know who married Desmond's daughter is in his fifties at least. I think that that would work out."

"And Callum was just going back to research he had long ago abandoned when Desmond disappeared? It doesn't seem like it would fit," said Regulus.

"We won't know until we check it out, and I'd rather know what he was doing. It's part of my legacy, and helps explain who I am. I'd rather know that he made enemies and be able to prepare for them than be caught by surprise," countered Liam.

Regulus nodded. "My research about Desmond Donnelly turned up a few things. He taught at Hogwarts briefly while Voldemort was there, some sort of assistant professor. He was a Slytherin obsessed with the Dark Arts and developing deadly potions; that's why he was sacked. But he never published his work or really seemed to _do_ anything of note."

"So we're probably looking for some kind of potions laboratory?"

Regulus agreed, "I guess, I mean, if Callum followed in Desmond's footsteps. You say you know his son-in-law?"

"Fate does funny things," replied Liam. "I ran into him a few months back in the middle of the night, and honestly completely lost all sense. He recognized my wand and was terrified, saying that I needed to come inside and did not know what I was dealing with. I erased his memories, later regretted it, but lo and behold he showed up at the shipyard. His name is Christopher Devon and he takes our boats in for repairs."

"Did you realize the connection then?"

Liam shook his head. "No, not until I arranged for Aislinn and me to essentially ambush him into talking to us; actually, we took him to the same pub where we met you. Desmond disappeared when Devon's wife was five years old. Her mother knew Desmond was a wizard, but did not realize that he was working in the Dark Arts. He was working with other wizards, including a young cousin, whom we believe to be our grandfather. Devon said that Callum backed out because he was scared. There was an explosion in Desmond's workshop one day and he was never seen or heard from again. The interesting thing is that they still believe he's alive."

Regulus paled. "Voldemort believes that, too."

"I don't know what to believe anymore," Liam admitted. "It does sound like our stories match, though."

"Do you think it would be worth talking to Devon again?"

"Maybe? He's really skittish, and he's said that he doesn't have any contact with wizards at all," offered Liam. "Then again, I'm fascinated that his immediate response to seeing a wand was to try to usher me into his daughter's house. How is that a normal reaction?"

"It's not," Regulus agreed. "Can you remember anything else he said?"

It was a strain. Liam had trusted Devon's story and it had been a while since he had thought of the man in a questioning light. Devon had been outside, he had called into the darkness when he saw the flash of light, he had exclaimed at the wand, and then invited Liam inside. _Why would he just invite someone with a wand into his house if he had never met a wizard, and especially if he was afraid of magic and his father-in-law turning up again?_

"He said he could explain everything if we were indoors. How could he explain everything if he's never even met his father-in-law?"

Regulus smiled. "I don't think he could. So what's he trying to hide?"

"I just assumed that he was protecting his daughter. What if he's more into this than he's admitting?" Liam wondered. "Do you think he has Desmond's old materials? Or knows who the good and bad wizards are in the area? If he knows so much about wizards in the area, how come he didn't know about me?"

"This is an awful lot of questions," said Regulus. "How do you propose we start?"

"I think we need some more evidence before we can confront him again," Liam said. "We need to try to find my grandfather's workshop, and we need to get some more information about wizards in County Clare. I think I know how we can accomplish that."

"How?"

Liam grinned. "How do you feel about double dates?"

* * *

Liam regretted that more than a month had passed since he met Meghan at the pub with Sean, but was glad when she agreed to his invitation for dinner and said that she would bring Lisa as well. The promise of the Donnelly mystery had completely taken his mind off of his social life. Even this meeting was more about furthering his quest than getting to know the girl, but he figured the quest was enough of a priority that it could be forgiven.

Regulus was nervous and Liam had to keep reminding him that the date aspect of the dinner was not the point. This seemed to help and Liam hoped that Regulus would be able to focus enough at dinner to ask the right questions without creating too much suspicion.

It would be a careful balance – trying to glean what Meghan and Lisa knew of magic without appearing too invested in their answers. The girls' knowledge of magic seemed to be innocuous, but Liam was quickly discovering that it was not safe to assume anything where magic was concerned.

Liam and Regulus met Meghan and Lisa at half-past six the following night. They constructed several stories about their time at Hogwarts and enjoyed making them slightly more outrageous than necessary, entertaining the girls as they enjoyed their food. It was easier than Liam had anticipated and he decided to make the first move.

"So, Lisa, Meghan tells me that you have a cousin that you think might have gone to our school," said Liam. "Anna maybe?"

Lisa nodded. "Yes, one of my younger cousins. She's in the middle of her fifth year now. It seems like an interesting place."

"How so?" Liam probed.

"Well, I think it has something to do with magic," she replied carefully. "Not like tricks or anything, but, spells and potions, witches and wizards, that sort of thing."

"What makes you think that?"

Lisa shrugged. "Not much, just a few things I've heard her say in passing. It's not something we've really discussed as a family. Every time I try to get more information from her, she shuts me out, but, Meghan thought that your school might be the same as her school."

Regulus laughed shortly. "You think we're wizards, then?"

"We didn't say _that_ specifically," Meghan countered. "It's just that the pieces seem to fit."

"Do you believe in witches and wizards and magic?" Liam asked, attempting a bemused expression.

Lisa looked at Meghan briefly, then looked down before she replied, "You're asking an awful lot of questions. I know it seems strange, but we really are somewhat serious."

Liam apologised, "Sorry, we didn't mean to interrogate you. We're just curious if you've any other reason to think magic might be the root of Anna's secret."

Lisa sipped her ale for a few minutes, lacing condensation together with her fingertips. Finally, she offered, "One more reason. Anna's boyfriend has come to visit a few times and he just seems, well, _odd._ Entirely different from anyone else I've met."

Meghan agreed, "He has a way of convincing you to do things that seem like a novel idea at the time, but afterward you're really not sure why you did them. This one time, I felt like it would be just wonderful to take a swim in the pond, forgetting that it was winter and that was a horrible idea. I felt like someone had muddled with my mind, and he was the only person around at the time."

"This chap does sound a little odd," Regulus agreed. "What does Anna see in him?"

"He's older for one thing; he left school in June," said Lisa. "And I think they lived in the same tower or something at the school. Plus, she doesn't seem to notice everything. She loves him for his brilliance. They always seem to be sharing riddles with one another that I've never been able to decipher. Just the other night they were trying to work out some complicated riddle about a sphinx."

Liam tilted his head. "He's here in town? Now?"

Lisa nodded. "Well, yes, he's been in town for about a week now. He showed up pretty suddenly; I don't think even Anna knew that he was going to be around for the holidays. He's been in and out of their house. Anna says he has some work business up in Ballyvaughan, though she's never said exactly what he does."

"What did you say his name was?" Regulus asked.

"I didn't," said Lisa. "His first name is Barty. Not sure about his surname."

Regulus looked pale again. "Would you know it if I suggested one? Barty Crouch?"

Lisa furrowed her brow. "That might be it, though I can't be completely sure. If you want me to check with her I will."

"No!" Regulus exclaimed, probably too quickly. "No, don't trouble yourself. He's just someone I know. I'm sure it's just a coincidence."

He gave Liam a piercing look and Liam took that as his cue to change the subject, wondering what was so significant about their Ravenclaw counterpart. They hadn't interacted with Barty much in school, but he had never seemed to be troublesome. The rest of the night passed tediously as he waited for an opportunity to bid goodnight to the girls and head home.

When they were finally able to get away, Liam questioned, "What is so significant about Barty Crouch that we had to end that conversation?"

"Liam, he's a Death Eater. We have to go to Ballyvaughan," stated Regulus. "Barty is dangerous. I'm willing to bet a lot of Galleons he's followed me on Voldemort's orders."

Liam's mouth dropped open. "Bartemius Crouch Jr., a _Death Eater?_Isn't his father one of the most serious opponents of the Dark Arts?"

"The very same. This is bad. Not many people know about me, but he's one of them. We've been involved with several missions together, and he's been suspicious of my loyalties in the past," explained Regulus. "What if Voldemort sent him here to follow me? Barty knows about your family, even asked me about my friendship with you once; how long do you think it will be before he connects the dots and figures out where I am?"

Liam shook his head noiselessly; he knew that Regulus was right, and he was starting to panic. They had been reckless without even realising it, especially if Barty's mission was determining Regulus' loyalties.

"Do you think there's any way that we can delicately figure out if he's after you?" Liam wondered.

"My only thought is to check the inn at Ballyvaughan," Regulus said. "The inn keeper said that he would keep any messages that may have come for me. Lisa said that Barty had been doing a lot of work up there. Perhaps he's been searching hotels to figure out where I am."

The plan seemed logical to Liam, so they decided to go. It did not take long to Apparate to Ballyvaughan and find the inn. The night was clear and they couldn't see or hear anyone on the street. Regulus strode ahead of Liam, straight to the front desk.

"I'm not sure if you remember me, but I stayed here for a few days last week," he stated.

"Yes, Mr. Black," affirmed the inn-keeper. "I've been waiting for you to return. You left a package in your room."

Regulus appeared surprised. "I did?"

The keeper nodded. "Yes, next to your night stand. One of the maids found it. Well, I have it right here and no other messages for you, so I was assuming that this was why you came. Was there another reason?"

"Oh, well, you're right. Now that I think about it, I do remember leaving a package. I was really just calling to make sure that there were no messages left for me as I had told my mother to call here if she needed anything and forgot to update her on my whereabouts until today," explained Regulus quickly. "I'll take the package and hope that you have a good night."

They stared at the package outside the inn, almost afraid to touch it.

"I don't particularly want to open it," Regulus admitted. "But I suppose we have to at some point."

"Let's open it at Callum's house," suggested Liam, and Regulus nodded an affirmation. They turned a corner into an alley and Apparated once again.

After verifying that Liam was ready with his wand, Regulus let out a deep sigh and slit the tape with a small knife. "Here goes."

* * *

_Many thanks to Arnel, Cygnus, and Utterly Absurd for their beta skills and for sticking it out with me to the very end._


	17. Chapter 17

**Heart of Gold**

**Chapter 17**

**By American Wings**

* * *

"Are we still alive?" asked Liam.

"Apparently so," said Regulus, letting out a breath he hadn't known he was holding. "Although, I've only cut the wrapping."

The package was lumpy and lopsided, like someone had prepared it in a hurry without regard to appearance or functionality. Who would have planted a package in his room? Could someone be trying to frame him? If so, for what? It had been just more than a week since he killed Richard Thomas, and Regulus had thought that Voldemort suspected nothing about his disloyalty.

He peered inside the wrappings and saw several pieces of parchment bound with twine. They were of varying sizes and shapes, some smooth and some wrinkled, which accounted for the variance in appearance from the outside. Regulus tipped the package on its side and the papers fell onto the table.

"Paper? That's it?" asked Liam. "I was hoping for something more interesting."

"Well, we haven't read them yet. Let's not discount their value until we've determined what they say," countered Regulus. He used the knife to cut the twine and separated out five distinct documents.

Liam grabbed one of the wrinkled ones and read, "_Dear cousin, I understand your decision, but I strongly believe it is a mistake. You've gone too deep into this. Even if you decide to leave, you'll still bear the mark of our work. I hope you know what you're doing. D.D._"

"Desmond Donnelly?"

Liam nodded. "I guess. The cousin must be Callum. What else do we have?"

There was a photograph of a middle-aged Desmond with his arm around a young man sporting Slytherin robes, whom Regulus assumed to be Callum. He had Liam's curly blonde hair and soft features, and looked to be about the same mid-range build.

They also found a description of the potion Regulus had discovered during his research about Desmond; however, it was written in a different hand than Desmond's. It described the potion as liquid fire to drink, but the fire was just a simulation. The writer was surmising that it might be a good way to conceal objects the owner did not want stolen.

There was a personal note at the end of the description. "_This is what the potion will do, Des, but I'm not sure I want you to have all of the instructions. I don't like where you're taking our research group. You need to sort out your priorities, and think of your family, before I'll consider sharing more of my research with you. We may be related, but you're slipping too deep into the Dark Arts. Be reasonable. There are things worth more than living forever. Cal."_

"There are things worth more than living forever? What does that mean?" asked Liam. Regulus shook his head and took out the fourth sheet, a newspaper clipping from some ten years prior.

"_POLICE SHOULD END SEARCH FOR MISSING MAN_

_27 October 1969_

_Dear Editor,_

_Callum Donnelly has been missing for more than a month, but the police are no closer to unravelling the secret. Donnelly, an 80-year-old resident of Fanore, was reported missing by his daughter, Kathryn Merric, on 15 September. No foul play is suspected and, while the search certainly has sentimental merit, police investigators have turned up no leads._

"_We're at a standstill," reported Chief Nicholas O'Brien. "I want to give this family closure, but nothing has turned up at his house. Everything is normal and nothing is missing. I can't produce a man out of thin air."_

_O'Brien believes that Donnelly probably took a fall from the Cliffs of Moher, a place he frequented for long walks. This is a more common fate than most people realise; the cliffs can be quite foggy and slippery, especially late at night and early in the morning._

_While Merric should have the opportunity to know how her father died, at this point the investigation is taking up personnel that could be used for other investigations._

_Donnelly is survived by Kathryn Merric and her family, including four children._

_Christopher Devon, Guest Writer, Ballyvaughan"_

Liam looked stunned. "That's a bit harsh. Someone actually wrote an article about the police taking up too much time to investigate my grandfather's death? What a calloused prat."

"Liam, look at the writer's name," urged Regulus. He watched as Liam examined the article again and his jaw dropped.

"_CHRISTOPHER DEVON?_ What on earth has he to do with how much time and resources the police spend on trying to discover how my grandfather died?" shouted Liam. "That makes me ill. He acted like he knew nothing about my family's connection to the Donnellys and here we have proof that's not the case!"

Regulus thought for a moment before responding. For one, Devon was a community member that had a substantial interest in safety. After all, he had told Liam that he was concerned with keeping his family safe from Desmond Donnelly. Was it possible that this was all he meant by the letter? At the same time, they already suspected Devon wasn't telling them the truth about the whole affair. Had he concocted some story about his relationship to Desmond and Callum that was false? What else could he know?

He took a deep breath. "I understand your frustration, Liam, but let's think about this. For one thing, this was more than ten years ago. It's absolutely possible that he's forgotten the details and wrote that letter on a whim because he was tired of reading about it in the paper. At the same time, we already suspected that Devon knew more than he was letting on. This confirms that suspicion. Also, he doesn't directly mention your family's names, except for your mother. You said that he's mostly interacted with your father and Silas; could it be that he hasn't made the connection?"

"I mean, I suppose," offered Liam, grunting.

"And if he hasn't made the connection, we'd probably be all right to ask him about it and see if that might help him unlock more memories for us, possibly?" asked Regulus.

Liam leaned forward into his hands, not responding right away. Regulus said nothing; he knew it was a lot for his mate to process. The whole affair had simply been a family mystery, nothing of major consequence, until the previous week. Liam was used to Ireland being magic-free, but suddenly, it wasn't anymore.

Liam sat up again and replied, "Even if he has made the connection, I'm still asking him about it. It's time to get the real story. What's the last slip of paper?"

Regulus had almost forgotten about it, but it didn't take him long to realise that it was the most important part of the package.

"_Black, I know why you're here. The Dark Lord gave me the same mission. We need to figure out where Callum's secret laboratory is if we're going to get the results of the experiment. I've already interrogated Devon for information, but he wasn't very forthcoming; he did give me the enclosed papers, though, after a bit of persuasion. I know the Dark Lord told you to work alone, he told me the same thing, but I don't think we can succeed without working together. You know how much he needs this potion. I have to go home for the holiday, so we'd better be done by then. If you're still devoted to the Dark Lord meet me at the front of the inn at noon as soon as you can. I'll keep going until you show up, but I have to leave on 22 December. B.C. Jr."_

Neither of them spoke for a full five minutes. Regulus' mind was exploding with the implications of this note. The present date was 21 December; Barty had presumably been waiting for him for a week without any sort of response from Regulus, but the Dark Lord had told Regulus to keep the mission secret from everyone. Perhaps this was a test? But then why would Barty have gone to all the trouble of interrogating Devon and getting the information from him?

"Well, which mystery-ridden situation shall we tackle first?" joked Regulus, laughing about the absurdity of their predicament.

"I don't think you have a choice," stated Liam.

Regulus shook his head. "You always have a choice. I could wait and claim ignorance of this note when I get back to England because I was staying with you, but then the Dark Lord will know we renewed our friendship, and that may not be in our best interest. I could also choose to ignore Barty and tell the Dark Lord I didn't want to betray him if he questions me about it, since he told me not to discuss the mission with anyone. There are a lot of things I could do. The question is which one causes the least amount of damage to the smallest number of people."

Liam was just staring at him quizzically, so Regulus continued.

"Barty is toying with me in some way, because that's the kind of game he plays, but I don't know what kind of game we're playing yet. I'm not sure if he's trying to trap you or me, or if he's testing my loyalties to the Dark Lord on his orders, or if he's just trying to figure something out for himself.

"One thing is for sure, though: Barty has information that we need. He said he got these documents from Devon; what else could Devon have given him?"

Liam nodded. "Devon is our place to start, I think. Let's hope he didn't tell Barty everything. What are you going to do tomorrow?"

Regulus folded his arms and stared at the floor. He was cornered no matter what he chose to do. He wished that there was enough time to talk to Devon first and decide if talking to Barty was necessary, but there wasn't. He wished he knew whether or not Barty was testing his loyalties, but he didn't. He wished it wasn't late evening so they had time to talk to Devon that night, but he couldn't turn back the clock. He had to make a choice, and he had to make it quickly.

"We're splitting up," resolved Regulus. "You'll go see Devon tomorrow, and I'll go see Barty. Devon doesn't know about me, and Barty shouldn't know that I've been with you. I'll tell him that I switched inns because I saw you outside and didn't want you to see me, since it would have compromised our mission, but went back recently to check on my mail since I had given the address to my mother."

"Okay, I'll tell Devon that Aislinn and I were looking through the historical record and found the article and question him about his motives, since he had acted like he didn't know Callum. Hopefully I'll be able to get him to share with me," agreed Liam. "But I'm telling Aislinn what we're doing. Someone should know in case things go wrong."

Regulus nodded. "Fine, that's a decent idea. Let's meet back here by three o'clock in the afternoon. If one of us isn't back, we'll know something has gone wrong."

* * *

Aislinn wanted to go with Liam, but he drew a line in the sand. She was unable to do magic if something went wrong, and both Regulus and Liam needed a safety net if their missions were to go awry. She wasn't happy about it, but she agreed.

At half-past eleven, he wandered over to Silas' desk at the warehouse. "Silas, I have some last minute Christmas shopping to do. I know this is our last day before the holidays, but I really need to get things done. It's for Clare. Do you mind if I cut out a bit early?"

Silas nodded without looking up from his paperwork. "Sure, little brother. I would never deprive my daughter of a good Christmas. I'll see you on Christmas Eve."

_Easiest task of the day,_ thought Liam glumly. This was not going to be a happy venture. He could not seem to calm down from the revelation that Devon _had_ to know more than he let on. He knew that it probably would be better to wait until he felt steadier about the affair, but they needed answers quickly. He walked the length of Ballyvaughan to Devon's warehouse and went in a side door. Devon was alone in his office. This was his chance. He strode right in without knocking and opened his mouth to speak.

Devon looked up. "Liam! Good to see you. Your boats are almost done and I was actually about to ring you to come down and take a look."

Liam threw the article down on the desk. "Explain."

At first, Devon simply looked confused, and Liam started feeling angry once more. He crossed his arms and started counting the seconds until Devon would speak again, hoping it would serve as a way to calm himself.

_One-one-thousand. Two-one-thousand. Three-one-thousand …_

Devon adjusted his reading glasses and moved the small sheet of paper more closely to read it. As he did, his hand flew up and covered his mouth.

_Twenty-one-thousand. Twenty-one-one-thousand. Twenty-two-one-thousand …_

He looked up at Liam over his glasses, then back down at the piece of paper, saying nothing. Liam watched him read the slip of paper several times, still counting in his head.

_Eighty-three-one-thousand. Eighty-four-one-thousand. Eighty-five-one-thousand …_

"Where did you get this?" asked Devon, his hand shaking as he continued to stare down at the article.

"Aislinn and I decided to go through some historical records to see if we could find any sort of link between Desmond and Callum, figured death notices might be a good place to start," explained Liam, pleased that his voice was not breaking. "What did you mean by it? You acted so surprised when we mentioned that it was our mother's maiden name, and you know perfectly well what our last name is. How do I know you were telling me the truth?"

Devon sputtered, "I … I understand why you're angry, I would be, too, if I found a newspaper article about someone thinking my family member should be abandoned to the sea. I'm tracking with you on that, but there's a lot more to this than you know. Until you both told me that you were related to the Donnelly's I didn't think the rest of the story was important."

Liam narrowed his eyes. "And yet you didn't see fit to tell us straight away, once it became clear there _was_ a connection? Why?"

"I needed to think. Lately all of this has been thrown back into my lap and I've been trying to stay away from it for so long, but I can't seem to anymore," explained Devon, taking off his glasses and rubbing his eyes, sweat starting to bead on his forehead. "Look, I need you to make a deal with me. I'll tell you everything, give you everything I have, but I need you to promise that you won't kill me, or turn me in to any type of law enforcement, Muggle or wizard. This needs to stay a secret. Please, I have to protect my little girl."

_Law enforcement? What did he do?_ It was all Liam could do to keep a straight face.

"All right, I promise I won't kill you. I don't know if I want to remain party to some sort of crime you may have committed, but I won't kill you myself. You have my word on that," consented Liam.

Devon nodded. "I suppose that's fair. It's not that I committed a crime; rather, I concealed one. Possibly several, actually. Do you mind if I lock the door? I don't want anyone breaking in during this conversation. I've been stalked recently by someone and I'd really rather he didn't hear us."

He had to mean Barty, but it was possible that Devon was just trying to put him off and escape from the situation. Liam moved so that Devon could not get by him and countered, "Actually, I'd prefer that you stayed where you are. I'll cast some spells to keep others out. Sound fair?"

Devon looked crestfallen, but nodded, and stared at the floor while Liam magically locked the doors, placed a shield around them, and muffled their words. He performed a spell to see if anyone was hiding in or around the warehouse for good measure, even though he knew that Barty should be with Regulus and not there. As he expected, the spell returned nothing. They were alone.

"There we are, full magical protection, nothing to worry about. You were saying?"

Devon remained quiet and Liam wondered if he was going to have to start counting again, but soon the older man spoke his mind.

"I shouldn't have kept it a secret, but I was so frightened and I didn't know what to do. My wife had just passed away when it happened and I was worried that Desmond would come after me since she was no longer around, even once I discovered that he was actually dead," started Devon.

"Dead? I thought you said you were still concerned with him coming after your family, even now."

Devon laughed shortly. "Well, that's part of the ruse, you see. No one knows what really happened to Desmond and Callum except for me, and I'd like to keep it that way, but I don't think I can anymore. The short version is that Desmond had performed this really dark magic that kept him from dying when his workshop exploded, something about concealing part of his soul in an object, really ghastly. Callum knew about it, which is why he kept to himself, but he was secretly trying to find a way to destroy Desmond as he looked for the object.

"Eventually, he came around to where Desmond had lived, where my wife and I were living, and explained to us what he was looking for, saying that he could put a final end to Desmond if he could destroy the object. We were panicked, but we let him search the house. He showed us a secret passageway to a basement laboratory, found the object, and took it with him. I never saw it again, but I know that he must have destroyed it somehow."

Liam's mind was reeling, so he asked a question to make sure he was staying on track. "Because … you saw Desmond dead?"

Devon nodded. "Yes, I'll get there. I went back down to the basement laboratory several times after Callum left. Something about it bothered me, and I couldn't place it for several weeks until I realised that everything was clean."

"Clean?"

"Desmond was still coming there to work. Imagine what I thought! He'd been using a hidden basement underneath the family house for a laboratory for more than thirty years and no one had detected him."

Devon paused and shook his head, laughing shortly. "I was wrong, of course. Desmond had only begun to reuse the laboratory, when he believed it was the safest place for him to store information. He thought Callum had given up trying to expose and defeat him, which I knew was not the case.

"I ran into him once when I was down there, and it was one of the most terrifying experiences of my life. He almost killed me, until I reminded him that I was his daughter's husband and promised to keep his secret if he spared my life and left my family alone. He agreed, and we had an uneasy relationship from that point forward."

_This is way more than I ever thought._

Liam asked, "How long was it from that point until Desmond died?"

"Just a few months," answered Devon. "My wife was ill, and she died soon after I came upon her father by accident. I wasn't sure how long Desmond would keep me alive, or if he would want me to leave the house, so I went to Callum and told him about my discovery."

"Is that why Callum died? Because he started trying to defeat Desmond with you?"

Devon affirmed, "From a certain perspective, yes. He had been trying to defeat Desmond anyway; I just helped him figure out where to find him. At that point, though, I lost control over the situation. I tried keeping up with both men, trying to figure out a way to help Callum without Desmond realising what was going on, and it became too much. Callum was hesitant to let me in on his plans because he didn't trust me, and I wanted to avoid Desmond as much as possible."

Devon paused for a moment and crossed his arms, looking down at the floor again. It seemed to Liam like the man was having an internal debate about how much more to reveal, so whatever was left had to be important.

"Go on, I know there's more," stated Liam. "Please don't leave this story half-told, when the answers I need could be right in your head."

Devon sighed, but continued, "Callum had a laboratory, too. I heard Desmond muttering to himself about it on occasion, but Callum never said anything to me. The man who has been stalking me is trying to find at least one of the laboratories because he's trying to access some of their research. I've managed to hide the existence of Desmond's lab by giving him some information that I had and promising that nothing more exists, but he might have found Callum's. You need to be careful as you move forward."

"Yes, I know that much," assured Liam. "We've found so few magical links at Callum's house that Aislinn and I have known for a while that he must have done his work somewhere else. Can you tell me what you know about their deaths? How can you be sure Desmond is gone?"

"Callum told me enough that I knew the magical object was destroyed, so Desmond could be killed," explained Devon. "We usually met near a particular outcropping of rocks by the Cliffs of Moher. I was going one day to tell him about something I had heard from Desmond when I found them."

Liam's entire body went numb. "Them?"

Devon nodded, white-faced. "I have no idea what happened, but I found Callum and Desmond, lying next to one another, dead. I promise that I checked their pulse. There wasn't any blood or anything else that would denote how they died, but they were definitely dead. Both of them."

Liam's mouth had fallen open in shock. _That_ was how his grandfather died? In a struggle with Desmond?

"What about the rumour that he was lost at sea? It seems to be a rumour that you perpetuated through this article," accused Liam, brandishing the paper. "Were you just trying to cover your tracks?"

"Yes, I'm sorry, Liam, but I was frightened and didn't want anyone to accuse me of murder if I brought their bodies to the attention of local authorities," explained Devon. "In a way, it's sort of true. I threw their bodies over the edge of the cliffs. Your grandfather wasn't reported as missing for several days, and by then they both would have been washed away. I'm a coward, I know, but I just couldn't bear to bring any attention on my family. I'm sorry for this mess."

Liam wanted to be angry with him, but Devon looked so helpless and lost as he finished his explanation. His hair was sticking up in odd directions where he had run his hands through it several times, and he was visibly sweating. Liam still wasn't sure that Devon had told him the whole story, but the new information did fit.

He placed a hand on Devon's shoulder and said, "Thank you for telling me. It can't have been easy for you. I'm not going to tell anyone, as you asked, but I am curious about the man who has been stalking you. What does he want?"

"He said he came to the house because it was where Desmond had lived. He was convinced that he could find a secret laboratory there, and I wanted to placate him, so I told him the laboratory had been destroyed when Desmond died and gave him some papers and notebooks that had belonged to Desmond," explained Devon. "He's still following me, though. Those papers do make reference to Callum's laboratory, so I think he's expecting to find it if he follows me, but it won't do him any good. I haven't any idea of Callum's side of the research."

"I don't want to get caught up in all of that, honestly," admitted Liam. "But I would like to ask you for a small favour. Could you show me where my grandfather died?"

"Absolutely," agreed Devon. "I'd want to know also. I'm going to finish up here, but could you meet me on Fisher Street in Doolin tomorrow afternoon? It's an easy walk down the Burren Way from there, and I'm meeting my daughter for dinner tomorrow night anyway, so it's a good time for me."

Liam reached out to shake Devon's hand. "I'm really thankful that you opened up to me. I promise, I'll do whatever I can to keep you safe. Please let me know if you need help with this bloke."

Devon shook Liam's hand and gestured toward the door. "See you tomorrow, then. Please remember to remove your enchantments so others are able to enter.

Liam did so as he left, mind racing with the new information. _Grandfather … murdered trying to defeat Desmond. Devon … the only man privy to the real details of what happened ten years ago. Desmond … a man who had hidden his soul in an object so that he could not die._

It was that last part of information that piqued Liam's interest even more. What sort of magic could that be? It was nothing he had learned in his Defence Against the Dark Arts classes, but it seemed to be something that Regulus would be interested in knowing. It had sounded like Devon might have access to other information belonging to Desmond, that he hadn't given everything to Barty. Perhaps there would be some explanation of this dark magic, but he would only learn about it if he could convince Devon to give him the materials.

It seemed fitting that Callum had died on the Cliffs of Moher, where Liam had first displayed his magical ability and Callum had been so close when Silas and Liam were trying to figure out what had happened. Callum had always taken walks down the Burren Way to the cliffs when Liam was a child, and often stopped by the house to take Liam with him. They had many secret places and caves that they liked to visit together, and it was always a place where Liam felt a strong connection to his grandfather. It would be good to bid him a final farewell there, even if he was no closer to finding Callum's laboratory.

Hopefully Regulus' afternoon with Barty had proven to be just as effective.

* * *

_This is going to be a disaster_, thought Regulus as he approached the inn, five minutes before noon, and saw Barty leaning against the wall, one foot popped up to support his weight, while reading a newspaper and smoking a pipe. He stopped ten feet short of the other man and waited, his hands in his pockets.

Barty noticed him when he was turning a page and paused while looking over the top of the paper, moving the pipe back and forth with his tongue. He looked down at the ground, shook his head, and seemed to laugh slightly as he folded the paper, then checked his wristwatch.

"Black, you'll be the last person I ring if I'm ever in an emergency," he quipped, folding his arms and looking back up.

Regulus felt his cheeks burn. "Um, sorry? It took a while for me to get your message."

"I left it right on the bedside table, it's not like it was a huge mystery," Barty pointed out.

"Come on, you know I haven't been staying at this inn," replied Regulus. "I'm guessing you've been here every day and you haven't seen me once. Didn't you start wondering about that?"

Barty smiled and took the pipe out of his mouth, twirling it in his fingers as he spoke. "You know what? That _is_ an excellent point. Where _have_ you been staying, then? I'd be very interested in knowing that information, as would You-Know-Who."

"I've been moving around, trying not to arouse suspicion," explained Regulus. "I cycled back to this inn last night because it was the address I gave to my mother in case she needed to contact me. You'll recall that my father passed away several weeks ago."

Barty moved away from the wall and closed the distance between them. "Yes, I do recall. My condolences. You've not met up with your mate Merric, then? Wasn't that something _he_ asked you to do when _he_ gave you your assignment?"

_Yes, it's a disaster. I've got to find a way to make Barty believe that I'm trying to protect the Dark Lord and not myself. He wanted secrecy, and Barty is trying to goad me into working together. He has to be checking on my loyalties, otherwise, why would he know the specifics of my assignment?_

Regulus narrowed his eyes and decided to go on the offensive. "Whatever goes on between _him_ and me isn't your concern. He asked me to work on my own, and I'm sure he asked you the same thing. I came because your note seemed urgent enough, and I figured that if you were still waiting for me it would be worth my while to meet up with you, but I'm trying to figure out what game you're playing at. We're supposed to work alone."

"Don't you find it odd that he told me what you were doing, but he didn't tell you about me?" asked Barty. "He doesn't trust you, Regulus. You've put yourself in some precarious positions over the past few months, what with the mystery surrounding Nicolai and your hesitancy with Thomas. From where I'm standing, it feels like you're pushing back. This isn't a game; this is our future."

_It's your future, not mine. Pushing back is the only way for me to _make_ a good future now. It's the only chance I have._

"What do you want, Barty?" he asked simply. "I've been searching for information my own way, as I was asked to do. It appears that you were able to find more than I was by talking to Devon, so, congratulations for that. I can spend more time here, so I'm happy to pick up where you've left off and say that you contacted me when you realised you had to leave so that the Dark Lord's request would not be abandoned. Would that satisfy you?"

"Are you really working for him or not?" asked Barty. "Just tell me. I've had a lot of time to wonder this week. You realise your life is forfeit if you turn against him."

_It's forfeit anyway. My life doesn't matter anymore._

The clarity had come – if he was going to fight the Dark Lord, he had to fight him all the way. Inching away from the Dark Lord's missions wouldn't be enough to cover up for murdering two people, or helping with the murder and injury of others. Even in fighting back, he had a choice.

His choice was to fight back with every ounce of strength he possessed, quietly. Carefully. Playing the kind of game the Dark Lord played best, but on his own terms.

_If I'm going to go down in flames, I may as well fan them as big as I can._

"His will is my life," replied Regulus. "If it will help you trust me, the reason I stopped going to this inn was because I saw Merric and his sister outside one day, frequenting the pub nearby. My presence here is supposed to be secret, and I didn't want to jeopardize the mission. I've been moving around so I could avoid them, especially because their father has a boating company in town."

Barty stared at him, still twirling the pipe. Eventually, he shrugged and folded up the newspaper, but still didn't say anything.

_Please believe me … I'm no good to anyone if I can't fight back with a straight face._

"I'm not letting go of my suspicions, but I'll concede your points and let you keep your secrets for now," answered Barty. "Devon didn't give me much more than I gave you, but I'm going to take it back to the Dark Lord. It's enough that he can at least think about what he needs for the potion. If I were you, I would try to get on Devon's good side. I didn't exactly do that."

"What do you mean?"

Barty scratched his chin and waved a hand dismissively. "He's a right skittish chap, and I think I may have frightened him a bit much. I've been trying to get close enough to question him again, without much success. You may need to meet up with your mate, though, because I did sneak into Devon's office and found out that he does repairs on the Merrics' boats. He might be able to provide you with an introduction."

_Surely he can't suspect Liam and me? He would be going about this completely differently if that were the case._ Regulus started to breathe easier. Perhaps Barty had done his research on Devon so quickly that he hadn't put all of the pieces together, and had ended up focusing more on his girlfriend than on his missions. Perhaps it was all going to be all right.

"I'll work on that, then. Thanks for the information," said Regulus, silently praying that Liam's meeting had gone well and they would be able to get the information from Devon easily.

Barty nodded. "Good luck. I'll see you back in London. Happy Christmas."

Regulus tried not to snort as he had a hard time thinking of anyone who he would consider less welcome to wish him a Happy Christmas. Probably the Dark Lord. Maybe Severus. Maybe …

"Happy Christmas."

Barty tipped the pipe at him, turned around, and walked away. Regulus slumped against the wall of the inn and watched people walk by for a while, not thinking, not planning, not even really comprehending his surroundings. Eventually he realised that it was close to three o'clock and he found a dark corner to Apparate back to Callum's kitchen.

"How was your afternoon?" asked Liam, who was sitting at the dinner table.

"Puzzling. Frightening. Overwhelming. Yours?"

"Enlightening. Maddening. Promising."

_Thank goodness_. "Good," replied Regulus. "I needed some hope in my day. What's the plan?"

Liam told him everything that Callum had revealed, and Regulus grew more and more shocked as each secret was revealed. He told Liam about his exchange with Barty, pleased that he would be able to show some actual results since Devon had promised to give them the rest of the materials.

"Should I go with you tomorrow?" asked Regulus.

Liam considered this and replied, "I think you should follow from a safe distance. Devon is still really worried about being followed, but I want you to know where I am in case there is trouble. I wish we had some way to make you invisible and come directly with us, but there aren't many options as far as that is concerned, I'm afraid. The cliffs can be really dangerous, and I doubt that Devon means me any harm, but I'd still feel more comfortable with you being there in some capacity."

"I'll work it out," assured Regulus. "I'm more worried that Barty is going to show up, even though he's supposed to be gone. I guess I can consider myself the rear guard."

Liam laughed, then said, "I'm glad that I'll get to see where Grandfather was found. I don't know if I'll find anything, but I think I'll feel closer to him because of it."

It was at that moment Regulus realised how valuable family could be. He had had to grow up so much on his own that he never considered what he had missed, but he felt like he finally knew why Lily had wanted him to reconcile with Sirius.

_Maybe, just maybe, it could actually happen. If we're fighting on the same side, and I've been made the official head of the household, why can't we work together?_

* * *

Fisher Street was a major thoroughfare of Doolin, running through the centre of the town, all the way down to the water, and bisecting several walking trails, among them the Burren Way. Devon had accurately reported that it would be an easy walk for them to the edge of the Cliffs of Moher, though most visitors to the area saw the cliffs further down the coast.

As they walked along the sea, Liam recalled the many walks he had taken with Callum along the same route as a child, more and more just the two of them after he had shown his magical ability. He remembered one day in particular, just before his seventh birthday, when Callum had made a bigger deal of it than usual.

"_Liam," he started, smiling down at the little boy. "Can you keep a secret?"_

_Liam's eyes widened and he nodded emphatically. "Yes! What kind of secret?"_

_Callum pointed to a cave. "We've been coming to this cave a lot, haven't we?" Liam nodded in agreement. "I think we should call it our cave. I won't bring anyone else here, and you won't bring anyone else here either. Some day I'm not going to be here anymore, but this will still belong to you, the place that we made just for ourselves."_

_Poor Liam was confused. Why wouldn't his grandfather be with him at their cave? "Where are you going to go?"_

_Callum laughed and ruffled Liam's curls. "Everyone has a time, lad. Mine might come sooner than you think, but I need you to promise me that you won't tell anyone else where this cave is. It's just for us, you and me, and I need to know from you that you'll be able to find it again. There may come a day when you'll want to remember me, and this would be a good place to start."_

_Liam looked around and took in the scene. It was rather like the rest of the Burren: rocky, barren, with some tide pools and animal life. But there were some distinguishing features, like how the rocks swept out over the sea, hiding the entry into the cave, and a rock just inside of it upon which they had carved their names. The entire area was set below some smaller cliffs, so you had to climb down to find what you were looking for. He could find this place again, especially if it meant that much to his grandfather._

"_Okay, I'll remember, and I'll keep it a secret. No one else will know," promised Liam._

_Callum smiled. "I know you will. Remember, you can never tell anyone where the entrance is. As long as you do that, no one will be able to find our special place."_

"Here we are." Devon's sudden break in the silence jolted Liam back to the present, but to the same scene exactly.

Liam felt a knot in his stomach and almost choked as the reality settled in his mind. _He died at our special place?_ The pools were there, the climb into the tiny valley of rock, and the rocks that swept out over the sea, hiding the entrance into their cave.

He asked, "Here? This is it?" His voice cracked, but it seemed that Devon pushed it aside as understandable emotion, as he didn't ask about it.

"Yes, they were lying there, on that shelf over the sea." Devon walked down toward the entrance of the cave, looked right at it, but ignored it completely, staring at the rocks in front of it instead.

He continued, "Desmond was lying closer to the ocean, and Callum was lying next to this wall." As he said wall, Devon gestured toward the opening of the cave, not seeming to realise that it was an opening.

"_Liam, can you keep a secret?"_

He thought back to Charms class, trying to remember something that Professor Flitwick had talked about toward the end of his last year at Hogwarts.

"_There may come a day when you'll want to remember me, and this would be a good place to start."_

There was a charm – one that could hide a secret location in someone's soul. They were the only one who would be able to find it, unless they told someone else where it was. What was it called again?

"_Remember you can never tell anyone where the entrance is. As long as you do that, no one will be able to find our secret place."_

Secrets … charms … faithfulness … fidelity … Fidelius Charm!

_**I'm a secret keeper.**_

Liam stepped back from Devon and slipped, catching himself on the rocks before he fell.

"Liam!" Devon reached out and grabbed his arm. "Heavens, I'm sorry. This is a lot for you to process. Here, let me guide you toward safer ground."

Devon took hold of his arm and they walked back toward the road, but Liam felt triumphant.

He knew where Callum's laboratory was, and no one else would ever know unless he told them. Callum always knew what he was doing.

* * *

_Author's Note: I'm so excited for you to read this chapter. It took me a long time to write because there were a lot of loose ends, but I'm so glad that you know who Callum really was now!_

_Thanks a million to Arnel and Utterly Absurd, as well as those of you who left reviews and reminded me that you've been waiting! Your enthusiasm is what has kept me going through this slump of working everything out!_

_This chapter belongs to Utterly Absurd. Thank you, dearest, for reading through my 52 pages of notes and spending an hour on Skype helping me process my thoughts. We're all indebted to you._

_Two more to go…_


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